Zoya Hussain on harassment faced by women: 'Men will brush past your chest on public transport’

Zoya Hussain

With ‘Hunkkaar: The Roar', actors Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aneet Padda, and Zoya Hussain have come together to tell the story of a 17-year-old who accuses a self-proclaimed Godman of sexual assault. Even as Hussain is happy that the JioHotstar series examines blind faith and demands consequences for sexual assault, it's not lost on her that "the endless list" of microaggressions that women face goes unchecked.

Sharing an uncomfortable situation, the actor told mid-day, "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."

A still from the series. Pics/Youtube, Instagram

Hussain added that misogyny is not something that women experience only outside their 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 rued.

In sharp contrast to her attitude and beliefs is her role in ‘Hunkkaar' - Hussain plays a disciple of the Godman. The actor said yes to the role as she saw it as a chance to learn about people who have blind faith. "On reading my part, my immediate feeling was why is she saying nothing, why is she obeying. But it explains itself. I have fortunately stuck with strong roles. So, it was interesting to explore this."