Post attack on Malayalam actress, Bollywood actresses share their safety concerns while traveling alone

Bollywood actresses share their views on traveling alone (after attack on Malayalam Actress), and how safe they feel when on the roads.

On February 17, 2017, a Malayalam film actress was abducted and molested by her former driver and his goons (in a planned plot) in a moving car in Kochi (Cochin).

Most Bollywood actresses have chauffeur driven cars, and being in a competitive industry, they are always thinking (and even worrying) about their looks, what they are wearing, about their next assignment, or attending a event or a press conference, and other professional things.

But what about worrying about their safety? What if someone attacks them? Has that thought ever occurred to them (after the attack on the Malayalam actress)?

Lets go straight to the ladies and hear from them.

Shraddha Kapoor: “Anybody going to do anything about the safety of women in this country?Each & everyone of us has to take this attack personally. Heartbroken to hear the news.

Taapsee Pannu: “The thought of being unsafe hasn’t even remotely crossed my mind when I am with my driver. And this incident jolted me a bit. Usually while travelling I’m pretty careful. I in fact make sure I have my google map on all the time to check which route I am taken through. But this kind of horrific incident could’ve happened to ANYONE. It was extremely shocking.”

Richa Chadda: “Just goes to show that the safety of women is an issue that transcends class. Statistics reveal the disturb truth that more often than not, perpetrators are known to the victim. The accused should be given the harshest punishment to set an example for a deterrent to these crimes in the future.”

Also Read: Mass molestation in Bengaluru: politicians blame short skirts

Dia Mirza: “I think this compels one to ensure at all times is that a police verification and background check is done with people we hire. Women especially must take the highest precautions to ensure their safety before hiring people to work for them.”

Also Read: When Salman Khan used the ‘Rape’ word casually.

Kalki Koechlin: “I feel sad and angry when I find out about any woman being abducted or attacked. It happens a lot and it is not always reported. I personally have felt safe when I travel not because I have an entourage but because regular people recognise me and look out for me if I’m getting disturbed.”

Divya Dutta: “We are fortunate we get to travel in guarded surroundings either with the team or security. But I wonder how I’d feel if travelling alone. There are hazards for working women in terms of unwanted male attention, teasing, harassment. But it is best to take care of your own security. Don’t travel alone and if you do, please carry things like pepper spray to practice defence.”

Suchitra Krishnamoorthy: “I feel safe when I’m traveling and travel the world on my own. But especially in a place like India I am very cautious and would not take undue risks. It is a country and culture disgustingly unsafe for women. The abduction of the Malayalam actress is politically or otherwise motivated though and quite a different issue.”

Also Read: Short (Malayalam) film accidentally endorses Child Sexual Abuse?

Shruti Seth: “I am wary when travelling up north. Have been fortunate to not have encountered any danger so far but it definitely is a matter of concern.”

Patralekha: “I live in Mumbai and I have a trusted driver who takes me around. There are times that I travel by a train or take the rickshaw, but never has it happened that I felt unsafe but again this is Mumbai the safest city in India!”

Vishakha Singh: “Frankly speaking, Indian women are always in a proactive mode to be safe. We are taught from day one to safeguard ourselves. We are taught to distrust. No place is safe anymore. My heart goes out to the victim. If our own car isn’t safe for us I don’t know what is. However this incident is not going to scare me from travelling on my own.”

Also Read: Bollywood celebrities robbed, mugged when traveling abroad.

Shweta Tripathy: “I travel a lot by Uber. And feel quite safe actually. But such incidents make me feel very uneasy. No matter what the means of transport, our guards always have to be up.”

Pallavi Joshi: “I have never felt scared or nervous. While safety remains an issue which is not looked at seriously by any association, this incident is an isolated one and shocking of course. But this should not become the basis of the general safety of women and should not lead to us getting scared to travel alone. We have to climb new horizons and one-off incidents can’t pull us back. Yes we have to always be alert, not as women but as human beings. Such are the modern times.”

So what do the women here have to say? Did you ever experience uneasiness when travelling alone? Please feel free to share your experiences.