A man used to stalk me, ask why I wear short skirts, spoil Haryana's name: Mallika

Mallika Sherawat has made her online debut with the reality web-series The Story. In the episode, the actress recounts a real-life encounter with an online stalker who wanted her to trade in her short-skirted avatar for a more desi look.

Talking about her experience shooting for the show, she says, “It was a very good experience, and the team is very nice. The subject matter is based on an incident that happened to me in real life. We chose it because it’s something that happens all the time in India. I had a tough time shooting it because I had to go through a lot of real emotions on screen.”

Celebrities, and actresses in particular, usually dread talking about things that have happened to them off-screen, but Mallika has no qualms about it. “You should lead by example. According to a recent report, India is the most dangerous place in the world for a woman. It more dangerous than Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. When I read that, I connected it with my story, and found that it’s very true,” she says.

“Women are coming out of the kitchen and working late hours at call centres and other places. It’s important for them to know self-defence so they can protect themselves if the government and the justice system cannot,” adds the actress.

Delving into details of the story narrated by her on the web-series, Mallika says, “It’s about this man who used to stalk me and write me letters asking why I’m wearing short skirts and spoiling Haryana’s name. Women are judged if they wear short skirts, and this man took it personally. He wanted to see me in a saree, with a pallu. Indian society is hypocritical. It has different rules for men and women.”

This is not the first time that the actress is standing up against misogyny and abuse. She’s also the brand ambassador for the Free A Girl Foundation which works to rehabilitate child sex workers.

Meanwhile, Mallika has bought the rights to remake The Good Wife, and she’s making an Indian adaptation of it. “I am producing it and acting in it. I am very excited because mine is the central character, and it has a vast emotional range. It’s not a character that’s black or white — it’s grey. She fights for the underdog, but you’ll often question why she behaves in a certain way,” she says.