Talking about my gang rape biggest thing I've done: Sapna Bhavnani

Celebrity hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani, who revealed in 2015 that she had been gang raped when she was 24, says talking about the incident is the biggest thing she has done.

Bhavnani had said that she was gang raped at gunpoint in Chicago on Christmas eve while on her way home from a bar.

"I just feel that talking of gang rape is really huge. It (talking about gang rape) has been one of the biggest things I have ever done and it's taken a lot out of me, but yoga has really helped me heal myself," Bhavnani told IANS here.

Bhavnani, who walked the ramp on Friday at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 here for #Tagfree, also said: "We have this habit of kind of looking at men to do something for us as women. We have a habit of looking at our Prime Minister or our ministers or our industrialists to step out there and do something."

But she feels "the power lies within oneself".

"Everyday when you walk out, you should walk like you own your sh*t," Bhavnani, who is uninhibited in sharing her thoughts, said here.

In the recent past, Bollywood celebrities have spoken out more openly about their personal issues -- be it about relationships or dealing with depression.

Bhavnani finds it fantastic.

"I think more and more women and men come out with their stories of abuse -- this is when we are actually going to change and people's mindset too."

The 46-year-old feels great when she is called a strong woman.

"But at the same time, it's not so great because when people think you are really strong, you can't really break down. Sometimes strong people also break down and that's what makes you stronger -- when you come up when you are broken," she said.

On the work front, Bhavnani, who was seen on the TV show "Bigg Boss 6", is working on a documentary.

"I am not made for TV to be honest, but I am working on a documentary that I am directing. So end of this year, maybe we will see it out," she added.

(The writer's visit is at the invitation of Lakme Fashion Week organisers. Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)

--IANS

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