EXCLUSIVE: Mallika Sherawat on battling patriarchy: I questioned the norms set to control women

Murder star Mallika Sherawat is all set to star in the upcoming web series Nakaab. Mallika will be seen as a power-hungry television producer who will do whatever it takes. Mallika Sherawat has had somewhat of a similar attitude even in life when she decided to run away from home to pursue her dreams and become an actress. In an exclusive conversation with us, Mallika opened up about battling patriarchy back in her hometown and finally deciding to take this tragic step. It had not been easy for her as stepped into a whole new city but she did not like the norms set to control women and decided to break free.

Mallika told Bollywood Bubble, “I faced a lot of opposition from my family and I battled patriarchy. My father is extremely conservative, my mother and brother are also. I had no support at all. But when you are that young, you are so stupid, foolish and naive, you think you can conquer the world. I was so naive and innocent, I thought main toh bhaag ke aese ban jaaongi actress. I was Jaat so I always thought ‘karlo kya karloge mera, mein nai inn logon se dabne waali’. Even now, girls are not encouraged to be an actress especially from North of India. Become a doctor, engineer, a teacher is the best. They are very afraid from the name of actress itself.”

Mallika further said that she didn’t like the way she was treated at home with the differentiation done between her and her brother so she decided to take the huge step and come to Mumbai, “I think it is so important to follow your dreams. Nai toh ladkiyaa apne desh mein ghut ghut ke anadar se compromise karti rehti hain. They dont live for themselves, they live for the family and there is nothing wrong with that. But, you should live for yourself as well. Because if you are happy, you will make everyone around you happy. I was very bold and bindaas. I am a Jaat so there was a lot of rebellion in me. So my parents would tell me not to wear certain clothes, dont go out after dark and my brother had all the freedom. So I used to think why is there so much differentiation. I questioned it and I questioned because very early on in life I read Vivekananda. So I started questioning all these norms that patriarchy has set to control women. I didn’t find the answers and didn’t like the answers so I ran away.”

Check out the full conversation below:

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