‘Rape is easier to prove than sexual harassment’

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She has played bold, confident, young women time and again since her first film Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi. However, when it came to playing a victim of sexual harassment in Inkaar, Chitrangada Singh found herself in uncharted territories. The reason being the huge deal of sensitivity attached to the subject and the fact that the margin of error was quite low, both for her as well as the character she was playing.

“Look at it this way. It is so difficult to prove that you have been sexually harassed. It is easier to prove rape but how do you tell the world that someone took unfair advantage and harassed you sexually, both physically as well as verbally? There are no tell-tale signs! Also, you can’t truly explain how a person looked at you or shook hands at a particular instance. It is something that only you know,” says Chitrangada.
“It becomes an overtly complicated situation especially as the story is about these two people who love each other passionately and then hate as well with an equal measure. The woman is pushed to a corner and she has to find her way out,” adds the actor.
And given her long-standing relationship with Sudhir Mishra, wasn’t it a foregone conclusion that she would be the leading lady of Inkaar? “Guess what, I never got a narration,” smiles Chitran-gada, “In fact that came long after I had already said ‘yes’ on the basis of just an idea that had been shared with me. Sudhir said, ‘Ok Chitrangada, so here is this love story where no one is holding hands and saying I Love You to each other. It is modern, ambitious and deals with workplace politics’.”
An idea that instantly reminds one of the Mithun Chakraborty and Mallika Sarabhai starrer Sheesha (1986). “No, I have not seen that film; but I don’t think we are anywhere close to that,” says Chitrangada. What is close though is another film of hers, I, Me aur Main, which is finally releasing this March. The film was expected in the middle of last year and Chitrangada is glad that the John Abraham starrer is finally releasing. “We come on 1st March. I saw quite a few portions of the film during dubbing. It has turned out to be quite funny. John is really good in the film. This is another film of mine which is very nice and different with relationships at the core.”
There are also talks of her being the leading lady in Mehrunissa and even though Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor have apparently green-lighted the project, Chitrangada chooses to remain tight-lipped about her presence in the film.