Mallika Sherawat Reflects on Childhood Discrimination and Gender Bias

Actor Mallika Sherawat recently shared her personal experiences of growing up in a family that favored sons over daughters. In an interview with Hauterrfly, Sherawat spoke candidly about the gender discrimination she faced from a young age, as her family preferred to invest in her brother's future while treating her as a lesser priority.

Sherawat revealed that her mother experienced depression after her birth because her family had hoped for a boy. She said, "My parents would discriminate between me and my brother so much. I used to be very sad in my growing-up years thinking about why my parents discriminated against me so much. As a child, I didn’t understand, but now I do. Woh ladka hai usko videsh bhejo, usko padhao, usmein paisa invest karo (They used to say, 'Send the son abroad, educate him, invest in him'). Parivaar ki saari sampatti ladke ko jaayegi, pote ko jaayegi (All the family’s wealth will go to the son, to the grandson). Ladkiyon ka kya hai? (What about the girls?) They will get married, they are a liability, ek bojh hai (they are a burden)."

Reflecting on her upbringing, Sherawat mentioned how these biases affected her emotionally, stating, "I used to feel very bad about it, but then I realised that it was not just me, but all the girls in my village were going through this kind of discrimination and injustice." Despite her family providing her with a good education, she highlighted that they did not offer her the freedom or support to pursue her own interests.

"My parents gave me everything… a good education, but not an open mindset or good thoughts. They didn’t give me the freedom. They didn’t nurture me, never tried to understand me. I was playing a lot of sports, secretly, because my family didn’t allow me saying, ‘You’ll become very masculine, manly. Who will marry you?’ I had a lot of restrictions," Sherawat added.

She also recalled the family’s disappointment at her birth, noting, "When I was born mere pariwaar mein maatam chhaa gaya tha (there was mourning in my family). My mother, I am sure, went into depression, poor thing."

Sherawat's comments shed light on the larger issue of gender inequality that continues to persist in many parts of India, particularly in rural areas where traditional patriarchal values often determine the course of girls' lives.