Just months after she revealed that her own relatives had once taunted her for being itni lambi aur itni kaali, actor Sonam Kapoor has shared another traumatising incident of her life.
In a round table interview that included other Bollywood actors such as Anushka Sharma, Vidya Balan, Radhika Apte and Alia Bhatt, the Ranjhanaa actor shared that she was molested as a child.
The roundtable was hosted by entertainment journalist and film critic Rajeev Masand, which is an annual conference interview; and this time he was questioning the actors about the movies that had an impact on their lives.
That's when Kapoor shared her traumatising experience.
The discussion started with Masand questioning Balan if she connected with her role in her new flick Kahaani 2, which is based on child sexual abuse. To which, she said that she felt deeply for the victims but it was important for them to know that it (sexual abuse) isn't their fault.
That's when Kapoor shared, "I think everyone goes through some kind of sexual abuse in their childhood. I know I have been molested when I was younger. It was traumatising and I did not speak about it for two years. I remember the incident so clearly."
The Aisha actor who is not known to mince her words, was blatantly honest about her experience throughout the interview and even took the ladies through the traumatic episode.
Continue reading to see what exactly happened with Sonam Kapoor and how she dealt with this abuse.
What exactly happened with Kapoor
As she began sharing her experience of sexual abuse, Kapoor narrated exactly how and when it happened.
She explained that when she was younger, she had to gone to Gaity Galaxy theatre to watch a movie with her close friends. But when she reached the theatre, and was at the food counter, she realised that some man had forcefully grabbed her breasts from behind.
"I started shaking and shivering. I didn't know what was going on and I started crying right there. I didn't speak about it that day and I just finished watching the film. I felt I had done something wrong for the longest time," said Kapoor.
She added that she knew many of her friends had also gone through a similar experiences and it was important to make movies about such issues.
The other actresses at the round table also shared her concern. While Balan said, "It is not her fault and that is the biggest thing a victim deals with.”
Actor Anushka Sharma shared that when she was younger her mother would ask her if she was ever touched inappropriately; and even though at the time this question felt silly to her, it made complete sense now.
Kapoor's revelation is an other reminder of how child sexual abuse slowly creeps up despite people being careful. But as parents, it is our responsibility to keep our kids safe. And we can do so by first teaching them right from wrong.
How to keep kids safe from sexual abuse
- Teach your kids about 'good touch, bad touch'
- Teach them about The Underwear Rule
- Ask to them to inform you immediately if somebody touches them inappropriately
- If you notice withdrawal symptoms or if your kids complain about physical pain, try to understand the root cause, because these are also signs of sexual abuse
- Tell your kid that it is not his/her fault and that you are there to lend support and assistance at every step, reassurance is the key to quick recovery from such a trauma
- Keep an eye on the school premises and ask the school authorities and tuition centres to provide you with details of all its employees- whether temporary or permanent
Read: 5 simple tips to protect your child from sexual abuse
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(Images courtesy: Instagram)
