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Gender equality shouldn’t remain as ‘talk’, says Bidita Bag

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Mumbai, March 9 (IANS) Actress Bidita Bag, who played the character of Indian stunt woman Reshma Pathan in the film “The Sholay Girl”, says society’s attitude has changed towards women as the constant talk on gender equality has created awareness, but she wants the conversation to go beyond talks.

The actress had a long interaction with Pathan during the filming of “The Sholay Girl”. Asked about the changes she noticed from the 70s era to present time, Bidita told IANS here: “Undoubtedly, there is an awareness and consciousness in men’s behaviour but that is not enough.”

“While the constant conversation on gender equality has given voice to many women, aspire many to follow their dreams and know their rights, we need to practice it to continue to bring the change, only ‘talk’ and ‘information on our rights’ don’t help. It is just the first step,” she explained.

The film, based on the life of Pathan, released on the OTT platform ZEE5 on Friday.

Bidita said even though earlier there was no #MeToo movement to create collective consciousness in terms of a safer workplace for women, Pathan had to handle propositioning in a much more diplomatic way as compared to the present time.

“Now, we can say things loud and clear when we are harassed and humiliated at our workplace. It is great that the mindset is changing in society and men have changed their approach towards women, but that is only happening in the urban setup,” she said.

Taking the reference of the Oscar-winning India-set film “Period. End of Sentence”, she said: “We are still living in a country where girls are stopped to get access to basic education when they hit their puberty. We have a long way to go to fix these basics.”

Though Bidita had a successful career as a model before entering Bollywood and also acted opposite critically acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the film “Babumoshai Bandookbaaz”, she said her struggle is no less than any other outsider.

“One of the first reasons of rejection in my many auditions is, ‘Models don’t know how to act’…I mean, how stereotypical is that? Of course, I am a Bengali and many times I get rejected as people assume that my Hindi is not good. There are different types of stereotyping that happen when they cast a new actress,” shared Bidita.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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