Zoya Hussain has spoken about the everyday harassment and subtle misogyny women encounter, while explaining why playing a devoted follower of a self-proclaimed godman in Hunkkaar: The Roar offered her an opportunity to explore blind faith and obedience.
Zoya Hussain is using her latest role in Hunkkaar: The Roar to explore a character very different from the strong parts she has usually taken on.
The JioHotstar series revolves around a 17-year-old girl who accuses a self-proclaimed godman of sexual assault. Alongside examining blind faith and the demand for accountability, the show also explores the social environment in which women can face harassment and misogyny.
For Hussain, that subject has a direct connection to experiences women encounter in everyday life.
Zoya Hussain Says Harassment on Public Transport Is an Everyday Reality
Speaking about the treatment women face, Hussain pointed to incidents that can happen in ordinary public spaces.
“You are taking public transport, and the men will stand extremely close to you and brush past your chest or bum. This is an everyday occurrence,” the actor said.
She also argued that misogyny is not limited to situations involving strangers or public spaces. According to Hussain, women can experience smaller forms of discrimination even within their own homes.
“When somebody comes home for some work, they will speak to my partner way more respectfully than to me. There are so many microaggressions. It’s part of being a woman in this world,” she said.
Hussain described these experiences as part of the broader, often overlooked pattern of behaviour women encounter.
Zoya Hussain Plays a Devoted Godman Follower in Hunkkaar
Her character in Hunkkaar: The Roar presents a striking contrast to Hussain’s personal perspective.
The actor plays a disciple of the self-proclaimed godman at the centre of the series. Her character’s willingness to follow and obey initially left Hussain questioning the motivations behind her behaviour.
“On reading my part, my immediate feeling was why is she saying nothing, why is she obeying,” Hussain recalled.
However, she said the character’s behaviour began to make sense as she understood the circumstances and belief system surrounding her.
“It explains itself,” she added.
Why Zoya Hussain Chose the Challenging Role
Hussain said the opportunity to understand people who place unquestioning faith in powerful figures was one of the reasons she accepted the part.
She has generally gravitated towards characters with considerable agency and strong personalities, making the role in Hunkkaar an opportunity to move into unfamiliar territory.
“I have fortunately stuck with strong roles. So, it was interesting to explore this,” she said.
Rather than approaching the character simply as someone who refuses to speak up, Hussain appears to have viewed the role as a chance to examine the psychological and social factors that can lead people to surrender their judgment to influential figures.
What Is Hunkkaar: The Roar About?
Hunkkaar: The Roar features Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aneet Padda and Zoya Hussain in prominent roles.
The series centres on a 17-year-old girl who accuses a self-proclaimed godman of sexual assault, bringing questions of blind faith, power and accountability into focus.
For Hussain, the project also provides a way to examine the less visible forms of misogyny that women encounter alongside more overt forms of abuse.
Her comments underline the contrast between the everyday experiences she describes and the extreme situation portrayed in the series, making Hunkkaar another exploration of how power can influence the way women are treated, heard and believed.
