In a powerful appeal to other assault survivors, she urges them to come forward and report such cases to the police. “If this happened to me, it can happen to anybody. If I can speak about what happened to me, anybody can speak up. So please don’t cover up these issues. Why do we allow the hunters to escape? It is not women who should bear the pain of shame, but those who committed the crime,” the actor explains.
She also adds that if she had chosen to bury the incident, she wouldn’t have been able to live with pride.
“If I had chosen to cover up this incident, may be five or 10 people would have known about it. But I wouldn’t have been to lift my head from the shame of not speaking up. I would have been filled with regret and would not have been able to sleep in peace. That is why I filed a complaint, and I have a clear plan how to go forward,” she observes.
She points out, “They say there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics and even in cinema. In my case, I have permanent friends and permanent enemies in the industry. I never apologise for mistakes I have not committed. I would rather be known as arrogant, than being known as someone who landed a role by repeatedly apologizing and compromising.”
“I will not allow a stranger to change my life. I have not hurt anyone, but many try to harm me. I openly share my opinion with anyone, anywhere. As a result, I have many enemies,” she said.
