Kolkata: Speaking to a private national media channel, actress Pooja Bhatt has revealed her experience of being sexually harassed. This reaction comes similar to that of Tanushree Dutta in the alleged Nana Patekar sexual harassment row.
Pooja Bhatt, who was in a relationship with her alcoholic boyfriend, had suffered a blow from the society when she had revealed that she was struck by her boyfriend. Pooja had reacted to the sexual abuse, immediately the next day.
When recalling those incidents and flaying the “hypocritical” statements that were given out by the film fraternity, she said, “When I had retaliated to the sexual harassment on me by my boyfriend, the industry, instead of understanding the circumstances, had questioned as to why I was washing my dirty linen in public.”
She confessed that although she was the daughter of a prominent film director, Mahesh Bhatt, she was as vulnerable as others.
Pooja Bhatt said, “When women express uncomfortable truths in this world of lies, they are dismissed and tagging as ‘Insane’. The violence comes in various forms. When a woman speaks out her feelings and shouts for justice, the basic right of being vocal about her pain is grabbed.”
Though Tanushree Dutta has requested everyone to stand united against women being sexually harassed, Pooja Bhatt has a different take on it. She says, “You fight your own battle. Truth is like a fire and when it spreads you are engulfed in the flame.”
“You cannot expect anyone to extinguish the flames and rescue you from it. It is an individual battle”, she added.
She has also requested people and media to stop questioning where Tanushree was for a decade.
She said that it was not right on the part of some women “who would not even name their family members” to question Dutta’s alleged delay in disclosure of harassment.
She believes that these things change only when the situation changes at one’s home. It is just that people are now talking more openly about such instances in the public.
Pooja Bhatt said, “It’s just the choice of a person on whether to speak about such situations or not. Every person has their own reason. Some may feel healed by sharing their experiences whereas for some it may not be the same. Some want to question the basic foundation and orthodox nature of the society and some fear to do so.”
“The question that remains is whether you want to shake the very basic foundation of your home or speak up and risk your career and repute”, she added.
