New Delhi: 'Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai' fame actor Saumya Tandon has opened up about eve-teasing which she faced during her younger days. The TV actor who spent a major part of her childhood in Ujjain, related incidents of men stalking and asserting their masculinity in unwarranted ways in small towns.
In an interview with a site, Saumya said that during her school days, "I would go to school on a cycle. And in those days guys would overtake the girls and rush. Once I was going to school and two guys on a scooter came diverting towards me and overtook me. I fell from the cycle. I got a crack on my forehead and I went to the hospital.”
Saumya recalled how when walking alone at night while passing through a boys hostel, the boys would take pictures without permission. She narrated an incident when someone forcefully smeared sindoor on her forehead. “It was winter night and one guy came on a bike and smeared sindoor on my forehead.”
Saumya shared that such incidents scarred her in childhood and instilled a sense of fear in her. “In small towns that’s what people are taught through Bollywood films that if you follow a girl, throw sindoor on her, the girl will be yours,” Saumya said.
Saumya also shared that Bollywood films have always glorified 'stalking' where men believe that at the end, 'ladki pat jayegi'.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Saumya has taken a break and is working independently.
Saumya has been a part of TV shows like 'Dance India Dance', 'Bournvita Quiz Contest' and 'Entertainment Ki Raat'.Saumya began her career in modeling. She first appeared in the Afghan serial 'Khushi' in 2008. She also co-hosted Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout (based on the Wipeout format) with Shah Rukh Khan in 2011.In Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met, starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, she played the role of Kareena's character's sister Roop.