Bollywood actress, Sonam Kapoor has never shied away from putting forth her opinion on issues that matter. As confessed by Sonam on her latest 'Koffee with Karan' appearance, the actress might have mellowed over the years, but she will always say what she believes is correct, especially about the issues that are close to her heart. Talking about this, the 'Neerja' actress in an interview with Tanya Chaitanya, editor of Femina said, "I may come across as guarded in shows like Koffee With Karan because I don’t want to make inflammatory statements for headlines. I’d rather use it where I can speak my mind about things that matter.”
When asked if the label of being brash bothers her, Sonam quipped, "It baffles me how if I have an opinion, I am brash and if a man has an opinion, he’s considered confident. If Shah Rukh Khan says he’s amazing, super-confident, the best and he’s King Khan, then it’s not cocky, but if a girl says it, she’s so brash! Why does she have an opinion? Why isn’t she preening, why isn’t she shy? I was judged left, right and centre.”
Recently Sonam had also opened up about being molested by a stranger in a theatre at the age of 13. “Before I became a celebrity, I was just a regular pretty girl in public. This happened when I was at a movie hall. I was groped by a guy who I couldn’t see in the dark. I was only 13 years old and deeply disturbed by the whole episode. I remember going to my teacher and school counsellor, and telling them about it. They said that everybody is groped; that groping is not molestation. They thought rape was molestation. Even at 13, I knew what it was—that if somebody gropes you or squeezes your breasts, it is molestation. I spoke to my mum about it in order to deal with it. The level of awareness in our schools is so low; there is no sex education and teachers are not equipped to handle such cases. Our education system just does not know any better. Girls slip into depression. They blame themselves and it’s a horrible place to be in,” revealed the 'Neerja' actress.
Talking about overcoming the trauma of a horrible experience, Sonam added, “It’s important for all of us to know that be it India or any other country, there is no safe haven for women. Somebody can grab your behind in a nightclub or a crowd and you need to know that it’s serious, it’s molestation. “Eve-teasing is more verbal— somebody making unwanted remarks—but molestation is when somebody touches any part of your body without your consent, and rape is non-consensual sex.”
Before signing off, the actress added that it is never the victim's fault, and they should not carry the burden of the stigma. Sonam concluded, "It is never your fault; what happened doesn’t make you less beautiful or pure. The person who did wrong is the bad guy—nobody can blame you and make you carry the burden of shame.”
