Lock Upp and Splitsvilla X6 fame Akanksha Choudhary has spoken out about catcalling, harassment and the scrutiny women face over their clothing. In a series of Instagram Stories, the actress shared a recent personal experience of being catcalled outside her residential building and questioned why such incidents can sometimes go without intervention from bystanders.
Akanksha said the incident happened while she was leaving for a shoot. According to her, people nearby heard what happened but did not react.
“A few days ago, I was catcalled right outside my own building when I stepped out for a shoot. People around me heard it. And nobody reacted. How has this become so normal?” she wrote.
Akanksha Choudhary Recalls Being Trolled Over Rakhi Outfit
The actress also recalled an earlier episode in which she faced heavy trolling for wearing shorts at home while celebrating Rakhi with her family.
Akanksha explained that she had returned from a shoot late at night and had very little time. She and her family therefore had to quickly complete the Rakhi rituals before getting on with the rest of their plans.
“I also still remember being massively trolled for wearing shorts at home on Rakhi. I had come back from a shoot late at night, and because we had very little time, we had to hurry up, tie Rakhi and get on with everything,” she wrote.
She said that instead of focusing on the family occasion, online discussions centred on her clothing.
“But somehow, my clothes became a revolutionary topic of discussion. People had so much to say about how I was affecting our culture,” Akanksha further wrote.
‘How Is a Woman Wearing Shorts the Thing That Threatens Our Culture?’
Akanksha questioned the idea that a woman’s clothing should be connected to concerns about culture or morality.
“I genuinely want to ask, how is a woman wearing shorts the thing that threatens our culture?” she wrote.
She then shifted the focus towards how women are treated in public spaces, asking why issues such as harassment and violence are sometimes discussed less than what a woman chooses to wear.
“How is respecting a woman, not harassing her, not assaulting her, not raping her somehow less important than what she is wearing?” Akanksha wrote.
Akanksha Choudhary Draws Parallels With Durga Puja
Towards the end of her message, Akanksha referred to Durga Puja and the traditional depiction of Goddess Durga as Shakti, or divine feminine power.
She questioned the contrast between celebrating feminine strength during the festival and the concerns women can experience while going about their everyday lives.
“In a few days, we will celebrate Durga Puja. We will worship a woman as shakti, as strength, as the divine feminine. But how do we celebrate the power of women while women in this country are scared to step outside their homes to celebrate, to work, to study, to travel, or simply to live their lives?” she wrote.
Akanksha’s posts place two related experiences at the centre of her message: being subjected to unwanted behaviour in public and being judged for her clothing. Through her comments, she questioned why women’s outfits continue to become a focus of public scrutiny when discussions around respect, consent and safety are also involved.
