‘There should be dialogue about sex and sexuality’
Let’s talk about Sex, Sexuality, Abuse; let’s NORMALISE it.” This is the message that the Badho Bahu actor Rytasha Rathore posted on her Instagram handle recently, after which she got numerous messages from youngsters. The 25-yearold actor is quite vocal about women’s rights and women empowerment, especially on her social media handles. About her Instagram post, she says she felt the need to start a dialogue on vital issues such as puberty, sex, sexuality, abuse, mental health etc.
Talking about the response, she says, “So many young girls, especially teenagers, wrote to me saying that they don’t have anyone to talk about these topics or share their personal thoughts with. Most of the people have grown up with no one telling them anything about these issues. Even when they look for answers on the internet, they are misguided as they don not usually get the correct information. Moreover, not everyone is well informed to understand what’s available online.”
One of the main issues the girls messaged her about was their weight. Since, Rytasha is a plus-size actor, she has tons of advice to give to these girls. She says, “There are girls who feel they are ugly because they are overweight. They ask me how I deal with my weight and I tell them to ‘accept your body as you are’. They also ask me about female masturbation. I sent them a few articles that explain it all. I told the girls that your body is your house and if a guest comes to your house, you have to show them around. You can’t say ‘I don’t know where what is’ (laughs).”
Most actors avoid talking frankly about various issues. But unlike others, Rytasha loves expressing herself and feels “most people are straightforward but don’t come across as such, because they have to watch what they say”. She adds, “My mum told me to never be fake. If you want to connect with people, the only way to do that is by being yourself. After seeing all the fakeness on television, and the posts that people put on social media, I have realised people are fake.”