Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11 contestant Sangeeta Phogat on wrestlers’ protest: ‘The politics of this country…’

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The sport star also mentioned how even though she is competing with TV celebrities, she is not afraid about the votes. Sangeeta said that she would dance from her heart and she knows it would connect with the audience too. Her sisters Babita Phogat and Geeta Phogat have also participated in reality shows — Nach Baliye and Khatron Ke Khiladi, respectively. When asked if they gave her any advice, she smiled to say, “Babita did tell me that dance is all about the coordination between your mind and body. She also told me that you would have to work really hard, and if you do, you will win for sure.”

Sangeeta Phogat referred to Tanishaa Mukerji‘s statement about not being a ‘star’ as compared to her sister Kajol and brother-in-law Ajay Devgn. The youngest one, Sangeeta said that she too could not achieve as much as her sisters. However, she does not take the pressure knowing that everyone has their own journey. She also said that her father continues to push them to get an Olympic medal home. “Just like you saw in Dangal, my father is still the same. Even though we have gotten married, he still keeps track of our training. I am here in Mumbai for a month and he didn’t know about it. He still wants us to only focus on wrestling but I also wanted to do this show. It’s become tougher now as I am training for the Olympics as well as rehearsing for the show.”

 

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The 25-year-old was among the wrestlers at the forefront of the protest against BJP MP Brij Bhushan, who was accused of alleged sexual harassment. Sangeeta shared how she and husband Bajranj Punia did not even inform their families when they decided to stand up against the politician-turned-Wrestling Federation of India president. “We realised how it was our people and we should be with them. They have faced a lot of atrocities and there was no one to support them. We wanted to protect the future of these young sportswomen. As for us, our careers were at stake, there were competitions in line but we knew these chances would come again but we had to be with these women.”

The wrestler shared that it was disappointing to see no one in authority taking a stand for them. She shared that while they were on strike for 40 days, many women met them and shared their stories with them. “Unke saath itna galat hua hai (They have been wronged) but they never got justice. This is how politics works in our country where it’s not easy to get justice. If I get a chance, I would like to talk about the matter even on Jhalak stage. And if not, I would definitely dedicate one of my performances to the women who are fighting for their rights and justice.”

Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11 is airing on Sony TV.