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It’s important to empower girls: Taapsee

- Kavita Awaasthi

Taapsee Pannu’s acclaimed film, Pink (2016), explored women’s issues, while the recently released Naam Shabana saw the actor playing a spy. And it seems the experience has inspired Taapsee to take action. The actor says she now believes everyone should know selfdefens­e, and has requested her school in Delhi to start self-defense classes as a full time subject, for both girls and boys. She wants every student to be able to protect themselves from a young age.

Taapsee says, “With the situation we are in, it’s important to empower girls from a young age. I feel selfdefens­e as a concept has nothing to do with someone’s sex. One should be strong and should be able to tackle a situation if their security is being threatened. I think change always starts with small steps, and for me, that step was to reach out to my school, request and assist them to begin a self-defense course for students from a young age.” Taapsee feels the idea isn’t just to teach kids how to protect themselves, but also to help them understand the importance of self-security and when to use their knowledge.

A source says the principal of the school has shared Taapsee’s letter with the management and they plan to introduce self-defense and karate classes in the school. Apparently, the management will also get a profession­al to coach students during the vacations.

It’s important to empower girls from a young age. I feel self-defense as a concept has nothing to do with someone’s sex. TAAPSEE PANNU, ACTOR

 ?? PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH ??
PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH

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