‘I can still feel the fire on my cheeks’
Gauhar Khan after the attack — Solaris Images
Speaking to the media after the slapping incident, Gauhar Khan says that it’s important for her assailant to get punished to ensure that such incidents don’t happen again
Speaking out for the first time after she was slapped by an audience member during the Raw Star grand finale, Gauhar Khan says, “I can still feel the fire on my cheeks. I am here with a swollen face not to gain sympathy but to bring forth the truth.”
“I have always stood up for many issues and I am not one to keep quiet. But why on earth did God have to choose me to be part of such a ghastly act?” asks the actor, teary eyed.
After taking a moment to compose herself, she adds, “…why would I have any sympathy for the assailant who carried out the atrocious act? The law should take the strictest of actions, he should pay for what he has done. By no means can anyone raise their hands on someone else.”
“Ours is a democratic country; being free does not mean that we can hurt another person. A person might not like women wearing short clothes, but who will decide the limitations? It can be a Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Christian or from any other religion… if anyone dislikes anything, we can have a dialogue… but just imposing your opinion by slapping a woman is not permitted by any law,” she says, adding, “It is the fundamental right of each to live the way we want.”
“If he is let off, then many incidents like these will surface across the nation. The fact that he dared to take such an action reflects on the lenient laws that exist in this country. No woman can feel safe as long as people like him are roaming around freely,” she says.
On the mixed reactions that are coming from social media, where opinions are split in her favour and that of her assailant, Aqueel Malik, she says, “I feel sorry for those who are appreciating his act, their upbringing is certainly questionable.”
She quotes a comment on social media, “I liked a comment which said, “Agar woh chote kapde pehnti hai, toh use bolo ki who apni choti soch ko badle’.”
Commenting on the religious turn that this controversy has taken, Gauhar adds, “It is not about Islam or about small clothes. It’s about small thinking and mentality of people who look down upon women as slaves and objectify them. If you have an objection about my clothing sense, you can write to me, talk to me; but you certainly cannot hit me. There are avenues for everyone to express their views but one cannot infringe personal space and get cruel.”
Ask how she continued with the shoot for the live event after the incident, Gauhar says, “I was shocked and scared and it took me a while to gather my head and guts. But ultimately I realised that if I didn’t go back on stage, I’d let the guy win. Not coming back was not an option.”
