Actor Aaditi Pohankar, renowned for her roles in web series such as She and Aashram, recently shared her experiences of harassment and inappropriate behavior from men during her school years in an interview with Hauterrfly.

When Aaditi faced harassment on the bus

Aaditi recounted a troubling incident from her childhood that occurred on her society's school bus. She mentioned that her mother, a CAICWA teacher, had a student who also rode the bus. Once the students reached the fifth grade, they were expected to arrange their own transportation. On one such occasion, she noticed this individual attempting to display something inappropriate from beneath his bag.

Initially uncertain about how to respond, she admitted to nervously laughing and referring to him as "Dada" (brother in Marathi). However, upon recognizing the malicious intent in his gaze, she promptly stood up and vocally confronted him in front of the other passengers. The man, taken aback, forgot to zip his trousers in his haste. As the bus continued its journey, his trousers fell down, and in a frantic bid to escape, he leaped out of the moving vehicle.

When a schoolboy touched Aaditi inappropriately on a Mumbai train

She also recounted another instance of harassment while traveling on a local train in Mumbai. As an 11th-grade student, she was in the first-class ladies' compartment, which allowed boys in school uniforms under the age of 18. During the ride, as the train left Dadar station, a schoolboy standing nearby and holding onto the overhead bar suddenly inappropriately touched her.

She recounted, "I was dressed in a kurta and had no inkling of his intentions towards me. When I realized what he was up to, I was taken aback. Consequently, I disembarked at the next station and proceeded to the police station. The officers inquired, 'Is everything alright? Did something significant happen?' I responded, 'I experienced mental harassment.' The officer replied, 'Where will we find him now?' Surprisingly, that individual was still at the same spot where the incident occurred, attempting to target another girl. I recognized him and pointed him out. The officer asked, 'What evidence do you have?' I asserted, 'I am telling you he did it to me. Why would I fabricate a story?'"

She then detailed how she pressured the young man into confessing. "A female constable was with me and asked him, 'Did you do anything to her?' He denied it. I raised my voice, intimidating him since he was younger than me by two to three years. When I pretended to strike him, he became frightened and exclaimed, 'Yes, sorry, sorry.' I firmly grasped his collar and demanded, 'Will you do this to anyone else? Say it in front of them.' I looked deep into his eyes, and that’s when he finally admitted, 'Yes.'"

In the meantime, Aaditi is garnering acclaim for her role in Aashram Season 3 Part 2. She is set to appear next in Netflix's series Mandala Murders, which features Vaani Kapoor, Surveen Chawla, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, and Shriya Pilgaonkar in prominent roles. The series is anticipated to be released this year.

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