Karan Johar: Ensuring women's safety is our responsibility

Karan Johar and Mithila Palkar come together for a short film on making urban spaces safer

Filmmaker Karan Johar has teamed up with actor Mithila Palkar for a short film that puts the spotlight on how women feel unsafe in public spaces in India, and says it is time people take the responsibility for the safety of women.

"The girls of our country are talented, and are recognised for it across all professional fields. But there is one more field that they are unfortunately 'talented' in, and that is managing their safety. While we salute them for this, we must acknowledge that [ensuring their] safety isn't a talent [one should have]. It's a social responsibility. And it's high time that we all take this responsibility for the safety of women," Johar said.

The short film titled Girl's Got Talent is presented by Save the Children and created by Yuvaa as part of their #LightUpHerLife campaign. Johar has lent his voice and makes an appearance along with Palkar, who plays the lead, in the film. It highlights how one of the 'talents' that girls must have in India is the ability to navigate unlit, dark and unsafe streets.

"I am proud to be part of the campaign to not only raise awareness about this issue but also to identify areas that can be made secure for our girls," added Johar, who has a daughter and a son.

Through the film, Johar has urged people across India to join the movement to take steps to change the landscape of the cities and neighbourhoods by identifying unlit places, and sharing them on social media. He also calls upon people to move away from being bystanders and become changemakers to ensure that women feel safe.

Talking about the movie, Palkar said: "I felt the palpable fear women feel when walking down an unlit street."

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