Khushbu Sundar recently recalled an incident when an actor openly made advances at her. The actress-turned-politician, who was part of masterclass on Women’s Safety in Cinema at the ongoing International Film Festival of India, Goa, spoke at length about the issue. The panel also included filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, Bhumi Pednekar, Suhasini Maniratnam, and Vani Tripathi Tikoo.
While addressing the safety issues, Khushbu Sundar urged women to speak up whenever anybody mistreats them. She said, “Women face challenges not just in the film industry but everywhere. You face them while travelling in a shared auto, local train, or even on a flight. It’s everywhere, not just in the film industry. But I would like to ask women to speak up whenever they feel someone’s mistreating them. Speak up then and there; don’t think about your career and troubles.”
Giving her own example from her initial days, the actress said, “A hero once asked me, mujhe kahi cycle gap mei chance mil jayega kya? (will you give me a chance without anyone noticing?) I immediately held up my chappal and said, ‘I wear a size 41. Do you want to be slapped here or in front of the unit?’ I didn’t think then that I was a newcomer, what would happen to my career? I just knew my respect was more important to me than anything. You need to respect yourself, only then will someone else respect you.”
Khushbu Sundar has been quiet vocal about women’s safety and has often supported movements like MeToo as well as the recent Hema Commiittee report. Previously, the actress had opened up about being abused by her father and has often spoken about it in her interviews.
Recently, during the Hema Committee wave, the actress had shared an X post, where in support of the actresses, Khushbu wrote, “What happened to me, was not a compromise to build my career. I was abused at the hands of the person who was supposed to provide me the strongest arms to hold me if I fell.”
She added, “This moment of #MeToo prevailing in our industry breaks you. Kudos to the women who have stood their ground and emerged victorious. The #HemaCommittee was much needed to break the abuse. But will it? Abuse, asking for sexual favors, and expecting women to compromise to gain a foothold or accelerate their careers exist in every field. Why is a woman alone expected to go through the grind? Although men too face it, it’s marginally women who bear the brunt.”
