When Divyanka Tripathi chose ‘dignity’ over a TV show

Telly star Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya says years ago, she quit a TV show to avoid a traumatic experience.

Today, Divyanka is a star in the television space, thanks to her work in fiction as well as reality shows such as Banoo Main Teri Dulhann, Ye Hai Mohabbatein, Nach Baliye and The Voice. But there was a time when she was desperately looking for work, and even though she got an opportunity she didn’t take it up.

Commenting on harassment at work, Divyanka said, “Many men think it is a man’s world, but it is not. Women are ruling in all the ways possible. They are at par with men. But some men feel they can get a free pass. They think they can tease someone or pass lewd remarks and get away with it. It used to happen, it also happens now. It’s just that I always knew where to set a boundary. Since the time I started working, I knew what I didn’t want.

“I knew that I wanted to do good work, but not at the cost of my dignity. In fact, I left a show. I won’t name the person, producer or the channel. I had signed a show, and the maker made a pass at me. He was very indecent. I left the show because of that. I knew that it would be a traumatic experience for me because any daily soap continues for a certain number of months or years, and I couldn’t see myself in that kind of a situation,” she shared.

Even though she didn’t have any other work offer at that time and was “desperately” looking for work, she refused to continue working on that show. “I was not so desperate to still continue, so I left the show. ” — IANS