‘My favourite JLF intellectual is Shashi Tharoor,’ Mallika Dua’s surprise session delights fans

Dua later spoke to indianexpress.com and answered questions on trolls and how celebrities are conditioned to remain guarded.

How difficult is for a woman with a sense of humour in India?

It is not that difficult for a woman particularly. I think it is easier for a woman to make her way in comedy than in any other field. Even though there is a misconception that women are not funny, nothing can stop those who want to make it into comedy and are good at it. In certain professions even if you have a lot of credentials you might not be always welcomed. But in comedy, especially with the digital space, it helps that it is public. If you are good, your audience will say you are good. Nobody can stop you.

In fact every comedian, even men are always under the radar of extreme scrutiny. Tanmay (Bhatt) is almost always called out. Even the other guys. It just happens  that if you are a social personality everything is magnified.

Does being a woman make you more vulnerable to trolls on social media?

No, I don’t think so. At least in my case. I have seen that men too are trolled a lot. Once they troll you, then keep on doing it. But having said that, the way they troll, if not the amount, differ. Women are slut shamed. Men are judged on their looks or are told upfront that they are not funny.

You spoke in the session that the spectrum of sexual harassment is huge. What are your opinions on the recent Aziz Ansari case?

Yes, the spectrum is huge and the fact of the matter is the one who feels wronged can always talk about it irrespective of the fact they are pressing charges or not. You may not agree with what happened, you may not agree to the fact that she was sexually violated but you cannot stop her from talking about it. In the Aziz Ansari case, the girl did not press any charges but that does not mean nothing happened. A slap is hurtful and so is a murder. The degrees might vary but it is hurtful all the same and one must talk about it.  Even if the girl chooses not to report, she can always address the issues.

You were one of the very few Indian celebrities who spoke up after the #MeToo campaign happened while there was a conspicuous silence from the rest. Why do you think so?

They are socially conditioned to remain guarded. They have PR agencies that decide what they will talk about every month. They spend a lot of time and money building their image and brand. I am glad that someone like Deepika Padukone spoke about depression. But their silence does not mean it doesn’t happen. The sheer volume of women who spoke up after the #MeToo campaign proves it. Perhaps they will speak up now.