Dussehra or Vijayadashami symbolises the Hindu god Rama’s victory over the demon king Ravana and the triumph of good over evil. It also marks the end of the Maha Navratri or the nine days of Durga Puja, also celebrating the victory of Mother Goddess over evil demons named Shumbh and Nishumbh.
With the ongoing MeToo campaign, the relevance of bad things in the society like cases of sexual harassment on women in India are being discussed at a forefront. On this auspicious occasion, Indian celebs voice their opinion on the evil things that need to be cleansed from society
Divya Sharmaa
It’s probably a mere coincidence that we are witnessing the #MeToo movement in our country at this time. The judgement is probably still a while away but it’s so heartening to see women standing up for each other and actually calling out the perpetrators publically. It’s not just a matter of courage but also putting your wisdom to test. I’m in complete awe of these modern day goddesses who have shown solidarity and have taken a public stand not to work with men who will be proven guilty of sexual harassment. Hope we set such great examples that going forward not just the film industry but workspaces all across, every household in every part of India and the world, becomes a safe haven for womenfolk to work and thrive in. It might take a lifetime of Dussehras but till our Durgas and Rams are alive, we will burn a host of Ravanas every year.
Ihana Dhillon
In the society where Devi or goddess is worshipped with so much of dedication, our real life Devi’s as in our women are still not respected enough or given then dignity they deserve. And this scenario can’t more evident or exposed then the way it is today. With #MeToo taking over the world and so many women coming out in open about how they have been treated in the past or how they are being treated today, it’s clear that our women, even in today’s modern time, are struggling for the simple respect they deserve. I salute to those women who finally got the courage to come out and speak openly about the harassment they have gone through and hats off to this #MeToo movement that has given voice to all our lovely women who have been suffering in the dark so far out of fear. So this is what my wish is that this evil thinking should be eliminated from the society and the respect deserved should be restored. And it’s not only about women I know. Men have gone through harassment also at different parts of their lives. We humans need to grow past that and learn to respect each other.
Vispy Jimmy Kharadi
I always believe that there is no term called EVIL it is what we perceive. Evil arises from anything negative. So by abolishing negativity in thoughts, words and deeds we could let goodness and positivity triumph over and accentuate the true meaning of Dusshera.
Garima Jain
For me, the thing that has to go away from the Bollywood industry is definitely casting couch. A lot of actors get exploited because of the same and it’s unfair. The fact that a woman is expected to look sexual in every movie by wearing a bikini is absurd. And also the fact that a director asks for bikini pictures even though there is no bikini scene. I think the real Evil in my eyes also is the pressure from all the judgements and remarks that people so easily make today about actors especially the star kids.
Sushmita Bhandari
In my eyes, having to compromise for a role is downright unfair. In other words, I want Casting Couch to stop right away. Roles should be given to actors solely based on their acting skills and once we get this right, we’ll have room for no-nonsense cinema with good content. In spite of being talented there are many people who fear to come into this industry just because they have heard the existence of something like this. I think the #MeToo movement brought to light a lot of ‘evil’ people and I see a revolution happening and a new age of Bollywood. A whole new era. And I’m more than happy to be a part of it.
Akshata Sonawane
Every year we celebrate Dussehra which symbolises triumph of good over evil. This year’s Dussehra Celebration has to be really special. This year has been a spectacular change of something new. As a country, we’re changing and we’re growing. From the Right to Equality for LGBT Community to the #MeToo Movement, the change has begun and we celebrate the people who’ve been fighting for this. We might not be there yet, but we’ve come a long way.
Shubhngi Atre
May the victory of Good over Evil inspire us towards our own victories. I believe these days mankind is missing and we are getting very selfish. We don’t even think about our environment, animals. This bad quality of us should be burned.
Sara Khan
On this special Day, as we celebrate valour & courage, triumph of good over evil, I wish every bad thing from the society like being judgemental about others. People should remember humanity. Wish you success & happiness in everything you do.
Additi Gupta
On this auspicious day of Dussehra, I wish everyone enjoys every happiness and the fulfilment of all dreams. I feel people these days do anything good or bad just to fulfil their dreams which is really not happening. So I feel we shouldn’t be very much greedy, at least shouldn’t harm others for our achievement.
Amrapali Gupta
A time for celebration, a time for victory of good over bad, a time when world see the example of power of good. Let us continue the same true spirit and help burning all that activity when we use our power in a wrong way.
Arshi Khan
May all the stress and bad in our life burn along with the effigy or Ravana. May we be satisfied with good health and wealth and happiness.
Amit Bimrot
First of all great wishes to everyone, I think for me evil is in form of many words like envy, jealousy, grudges, fight, depression, anxiety, bad behaviour, discrimination, humiliation, exploitation, disrespect etc. Its everywhere in our society and Bollywood. Yeah, every person should work hard to overcome these and fight against these words. That’s the need of this time for the better world, for the next generation.
