Chitrangada uses memories of sexual harassment in film

To prepare for her role in director Sudhir Mishra’s tentatively titled Inkaar, actor Chitrangada Singh recalls her personal memories of being sexually harassed in ‘aggressive’ north India. The film is about sexual abuse at workplaces.

A few days ago, actor Chitrangada Singh finished shooting the climax sequence of Sudhir Mishra’s upcoming movie. Tentatively titled Inkaar, the film, also starring Arjun Rampal, revolves around sexual harassment at work places. And for her role, Chitrangada has taken cues from some of her own personal experiences.

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“Since I spent most of my growing years in Delhi and Meerut, I have had my share of such experiences; a couple were really bad ones too,” says Chitrangada, adding that most Indian women, especially those living in north India, have faced sexual harassment at some point of time in their lives.

Chitrangada Singh (AFP)

“And I have mentioned north India because everyone is aware that that side of the country is a little aggressive by nature,” she adds.

As part of her preparation, the Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003) actor also spent time talking to a few professionals who function in corporate set-ups, so she could understand the intricacies of sexual harassment cases and how women deal with returning to the same workplace after an incident.

“I got in touch with an HR head to comprehend the severity of such cases, and how harsh they are on someone who has been proven guilty,” says the actor, adding that many women suffer in silence and don’t come out in the open about such cases because of lack of evidence.

“I wanted to know what girls do in these situations and how the legal system handles this matter. Sometimes, justice isn’t imparted to women because they choose to keep quiet. Probably, they believe their words will open a can of worms,” she says.

Meanwhile, some reports recently claimed that the actor would be seen doing intimate scenes with co-star Arjun in the movie. But Chitrangada denies this. She says, “I don’t think there are any ‘steamy’ scenes in the film. They have been shot very realistically.”

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