Meera Chopra finally made it
The actress had no reservations taking on the role of a rape survivor.
In a breakthrough performance, Meera Chopra has finally made an impact as a rape survivor in Ajay Bahl’s Section 375.
The actress had no reservations taking on the role of a rape survivor. “It’s the reality of the society we’re living in. There is such a huge stigma attached to this crime. Why is a girl shunned when she’s raped? What wrong has she done? In fact, rape survivors should be supported so that they can fight their battle confidently. I had no reservations about playing the rape survivor because I always knew I was in safe hands. Ajay sir is extremely sensitive and he’s got a very deep understanding of human psychology. So I knew he would make my journey easier,” the actress explains.
Even outside the show, the actress has seen and experienced predatory behaviour. “I think every new girl that comes to this industry has faced predatory behaviour. You meet people who will call you for late-night dinners. They will give hints to your manager; they will start harassing you on Whatsapp. I’ve faced all that too, and that is why I was so hell-bent on doing Section 375. I genuinely feel women are not safe in their work environment. There is a huge power play. It’s about time these predators think before approaching women,” she opines.
As for her career, Meera has been struggling to make a place for herself. “It seems like an endless struggle. Just because I look a certain way, I was getting only those roles where I had to look hot and glamorous. And I kept rejecting them,” she says, adding that she was warned about her lack of conformity. “Once a big producer told me that it’s going to be very difficult for me because I am turning down roles that would suit me the best, and he was offering me an erotic film. It was very difficult to break that stereotype. It’s not easy to say no to work when you have absolutely no work. But I had faith in myself, which kept me going.”
About her cousins Priyanka and Parineeti racing ahead of her, Meera says she has no loyalty to any camp and neither is she a social butterfly. It’s been four years in Mumbai now, and I still don’t have any friends, so you can imagine.”
Nevertheless, things are looking up for Meera. “I’ve just started shooting for an Amazon show called Kamathipura, which is about prostitution. I play a cop who’s solving some murder cases that occur when girls oppose sex slavery. Even Kamathipura is based on real cases.”