Throwback/ Gauahar Khan reacts to 'horrible' incident of getting assaulted on stage for wearing short dress

Nine years after the infamous slap incident was captured on camera and went viral, Gauahar Khan can still feel the trauma attached to it. In a new interview, the Ishaqzaade actress reacted to the 2014 incident when a man slapped her while she was performing on stage. Recalling the incident, the actress said that she still has memory of the “horrible” incident.

Gauhar Khan talks about the slap incident 

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Gauahar Khan revisited the time when she was assaulted on stage. For the unversed, the actress was performing on stage in the reality show India’s Raw Star when a man named Akil Malik slapped her thrice. The man allegedly slapped the actress for donning a short dress during her performance. 

Recalling the incident Gauahar said, “There were 200 people on set. Honestly, I don’t want to talk about that, not because I’m under some trauma or something like that. Of course, I still remember it and I still know what it was like and how horrible that was. What I do want to address is how losers use that incident and think that they can trigger me in some way.” 

She questioned trolls over their reaction at the time and said, “What kind of mindset do you have do you think it's okay to hit, first of a nihatta (unarmed) person, secondly, a woman, and thirdly, someone who has not caused you any harm. Just because something triggered you, something you disagree with my opinion, toh aap betiyon, biwiyon aur maaon ke saath kya karte honge (what would do with your wives, daughters or mothers)." 

She added, “That’s why I don’t watch to give this incident so much thought because it happened to me, it’s not a joke. Maybe you have seen this in your household where husband-wife are violent towards each other or father beating daughters, so maybe it’s okay with you.” 

She then cautioned people by giving the example of such incidents and said that no one can become a “bigger man” just by hitting someone. She added that anyone with two hands can engage in violence, but advised people to turn their hate into love. She even urged people to agree to disagree and asked them to co-exist while having thoughts of their own. 

Gauahar Khan revisits Ranbir Kapoor starrer Rocket Singh 

In the same interview, the actress spoke about starring in Rocket Singh (2009) with Ranbir Kapoor. She said, “If Rocket Singh had to release today, I think it would have been the biggest blockbuster with the kind of film it was, the kind of writing it had, and the kind of actors it had. It just came way ahead of its time, and at that time, the industry was not ready for a film like that. For a simple film that was so strong on paper and performance, it should have probably swept all the awards that year. I got a nomination, Best Supporting Actor, and I got one award as well.”

She added, “If it had released today, I would probably have been the next superstar to hit the market. But I also believe that everything happens for the best.”