The actress on harassment at workplace and why justice is the need of the hour

At the time when the entire country is pouring out its wrath at the inhuman sexual assault on a Delhi-based woman, Chitrangada Singh is all set to have her film hit the marquee. The project is incidentally based on sexual harassment at workplace and the actress feels it is best to hit the nail hard when the iron is hot.

You are from Delhi. How angry are you at this incident?
I went to college in Delhi and I used to stay in a hostel there. I think the situation is really bad there. It can be due to the big cultural and traditional gap between people. Only education and marches are not going to help. Justice should be attained quickly and I want it as early as tomorrow.


You even had your long and beautiful hair chopped off for your new role?
It was needed for my role, as it spans over seven years. My character goes on from an out-of-college graduate to becoming the head of a company. There is a definite change in the looks. Believe me, I was not keen to cut off my hair in the beginning. I was willing to go for any other kind of transformation. Finally I did and the response to the act has been pretty good.

Was it tough for you to do intimate scenes?
We did make a plan on how to go about it. It is very important for an actor to be comfortable while doing such scenes and Arjun (Rampal) made me comfortable. Actually we met each other on a flight to Delhi and had a long conversation and it helped us build a rapport.

Were there many retakes?
I was nervous while enacting some sequences. I had a mental block. Arjun would keep the atmosphere light on the sets by cracking some jokes in between the shots. However, we still ended up doing several takes.


Does sexual harassment exist in Bollywood?
It is everywhere and the industry is no exception. However, I think it is comparatively lesser here than at other places. Nowadays for actresses, there is a lot of work available so you can decide who you want to work with.