Mass molestation in Bengaluru: Where does it stop? Bollywood actresses react

By Subhash K. Jha -

January 6, 2017 - 10:59 AM IST

Pooja Bedi: “It ends when the masses get the message that they can’t get away with it!!! As of now lax policing and arduously long court processes give the impression that u can get away with such stuff. Also, misogynistic people in positions of power need to be given public warnings so as to ensure public knows a derogatory mind-set towards women is unacceptable.”

Mass molestation in Bengaluru: Where does it stop? Bollywood actresses react

Dia Mirza: “It won't end until mothers bring up sons differently, until fathers teach their son's better. Until every law is enforced and the misogynistic mentality is not condemned emphatically. It will not end until as a society we make the everyman realise that a woman is not an object of his desire and that she is a living, feeling, and thinking being. It will not end until men are taught to treat women the way they would want to be treated. With respect. But most importantly our son's will follow and learn when gender equality is demonstrated at home.”

Patralekha: “There will be no end to it if we don't start teaching our sons that women and men are equals and should be respected and not be treated only as objects! It has to begin now and in our homes. Don’t feed your male and female child a different diet.”

Tisca Arora: “It should end in a few public floggings at the very least. CC TV footage should be used to identify some of the men. Another New Year's Eve should be organised with total police protection at MG Road again... to show that neither women nor the state are going to take this lying down. Women should be allowed licensed mace or so sprays or Tasers.”

Pallavi Sharda: “It's an utter embarrassment. I am ashamed that violence of this nature is an everyday occurrence in India. My heart bleeds for all the female victims and I urge them to keep speaking up. This is a long battle and we have to overcome the challenges with our heads held high and with unity as the fight is against perpetrators and the society which protects them”

Kalki Koechlin: “We really need to have education programmes for boys and men to sensitise them to gender issues. Women are taught from an early age how to behave but men are not.”

Gauahar Khan: “We need stricter laws, far more stringent punishment… Enough is enough.”

Sayani Gupta: “Whatever I read, it's infuriating. But as we continue to live in this pathetic state as a whole, I wonder what can truly bring about a change in the psyche of people including the perpetrators and the politicians. Our country is infested with creeps and vicious patriarchy and regression. Its pains us, agitates us, shocks us every time but the real question is how do we ever put an end to this apathy? I honestly don't know and feel terribly hopeless. But I want to be proven wrong.”

Taapsee Pannu: “It will not end. It's time girls take charge in their hands to deal with this. It's only them who can help themselves n no one else. No amount of policing and teaching can help this anymore. Anything n everything it takes under the sun. They need to take charge of their own safety. By this I definitely don't mean sit scared in your houses because you aren't even safe there.”

Tara Ali Berry: “I feel there is no end to such horror unless there is fear of the consequence with the most stringent punishment for the perpetrators. It saddens me that this kind of atrocity is still happening in our country even though there have been multiple newsroom discussions, protests, editorials and films condemning some of these horrific incidents but sadly there seems to be no fear of the repercussions of these kind of actions. We need to start implementing a way of life where there is equality so that the children of our nation grow up believing that the only difference between a male and female is biological. Nothing else. Also we need to make sure that there is fear of the consequences in people who are capable of doing these things.”

Tannishtha Chatterjee: “New India. Old story. Nothing seems to change.”

Saiyami Kher: “I'm actually so upset and angry that I can't string words together to express myself. Disturbed, disgusted and ashamed of the regressive society we live in. Our laws need to come down heavily on these beasts. Completely appalled.”