Ayesha Khan has addressed the backlash she faced after revealing that she shot the dance track Shararat while on her period in Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller Dhurandhar.
Speaking at a summit by Mojo Story, the actress said she was taken aback by how a normal confession turned into meme material online.
“It’s unfortunate that whatever you do or say these days, everything is a joke, dark humour, and fun. It’s a good thing that you can laugh about everything. But to laugh at anything and everything isn’t exactly fun. I probably didn’t even realise it because it’s so normal for me. Every month, we go through this cycle. We do so many things when we’re on periods,” she said.
“Peak detailing” memes and online mockery
Recalling the social media storm that followed, Ayesha added, “Me being on periods had suddenly become a national joke. ”
She pointed out that the mockery even used the trending “peak detailing by Aditya Dhar” meme format. “We really need to educate our sons and brothers. I’m sure the jokes were from men. It was really bad,” she said bluntly.
Despite the trolling, the actor made it clear that she felt no shame. “I’m a proud woman. I was really, really proud of whatever I did while being on periods. You wouldn’t be able to do that without being on periods.
I did that on my periods,” she asserted.
“We don’t make a big deal out of it”
Emphasising that her experience was far from exceptional, Ayesha said women across professions continue to perform at their best while managing their cycles.
“I’m sure there were 100 women in this room. There would be at least five or two women who’d be on periods right now. We just don’t realise it because we don’t make a big deal about it. So, if we don’t make a big deal out of it, you can chill,” she remarked.
She acknowledged that she is fortunate not to suffer severe physical pain during her periods. However, she admitted feeling self-conscious while filming the song.
“Of course, I felt I wasn’t looking my best because I was bloated. It’s the song, so you want to look your best. You’re just so excited you want to look your best,” she shared.
About Dhurandhar and its sequel
Dhurandhar also featured Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles and is currently streaming on Netflix.
The sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, is slated to release on March 19.
