18-year-old Mumbai-based Niharika Sharma who was scheduled to perform at a 5-star hotel in Chennai on New Year’s Eve has cancelled her performance to protest against Violence against Women in India. She is the first actor/performer to do so.
While neither Niharika Sharma nor her manager were available for comment, a spokesperson for the event organizer in Chennai said that Niharika Sharma communicated to them on Saturday morning that saddened and deeply hurt by the ongoing violence against women in India, she is in no mood of celebrating at a 5-star hotel and partying while thousands of women are assaulted, battered, raped and killed in India. She has volunteered to return the advance paid to her, the event organizer confirmed.
Meanwhile, Indian Artistes and Actors Forum (IAAF) which represents thousands of artistes, actors, item dancers and performers across India with over 5000 members has called upon all actors and performers doing stage shows and events across India on New Year’s Eve to denounce violence against women before they start the celebrations.
The death of the valiant Delhi rape victim who succumbed to her injuries after a bold fight – both against her attackers who brutally raped and injured her and then against the infection attacking her body – has left the entire country saddened and angered. While protesting and shouting slogans is one way of expressing anger and disgust, damaging public property or assaulting public servants and media persons will not solve the issue in any way. We need a complete nation-wide attitudinal change towards women. Cancelling events on New Year’s Eve in which organizers have invested huge sums of money will cause great financial losses and will also deprive artistes and dancers of their source of livelihood. Hence we have asked all our members and the film and entertainment fraternity in general to denounce violence against women before their performances. We request performers and event organizers to either read out a message or make an impromptu statement denouncing violence against women, said a press release issued by the IAAF.
