In a recent interview Ananya Panday, Niharika Lyra Dutt and Muskkaan Jaferi the cast of the upcoming Prime Video series Call Me Bae discussed the growing attention on crimes against women and the portrayal of women in films. They talked on importance of not advocating and pushing for changes to tackle gender based violence and inequality issues.

Ananya Panday recognized that women have gone through challenges in the past but noted that there has been a change in the way these matters are now openly talked about. “It’s always been dark times for women, now we are just speaking about it a lot more. There’s one thing talking about it but the more important thing is doing something about it,” She emphasised the importance of raising awareness but also stressed the need for change through laws to create a difference.

Niharika Lyra Dutt, recognized for her performance in Paatal Lok, shared a similar view expressing her joy at how women are now voicing their concerns about unfairness in the movie industry.“The problems in the film industry and disparity have always been the case. Now, people are talking about it, standing up against it, voices are being emboldened, and that’s wonderful because that leads to systemic change,” she said.

Muskkaan Jaferi, who also stars in Call Me Bae, emphasized the advancements happening in the industry through the establishment of internal complaints committees and stringent policies to combat sexual harassment. “We have orientation programmes, and there are strict rules in place for how to behave in a work environment. That is a big change. You can go and complain anonymously too,” she explained.

The actors made these remarks amidst heightened attention on crimes against women due to shocking incidents of sexual assault and findings from the Justice K. Hema Committee report regarding the mistreatment of women in the Malayalam film industry. They emphasised the need for awareness and concrete actions to empower women and establish safer workplaces.