Gauahar Khan: I can just shun patriarchy and all sorts of judgments and norms out of my life

Actor Gauahar Khan often uses social media to call out people with stereotypical attitudes or nosey questions about her life — personal or professional. She admits she doesn’t do it out of annoyance, rather to spread a word about the prevailing misconceptions.

Recently, Khan, who’s married to Zaid Darbar, made a snappy Insta reel about inquisitive questions she’s asked as “a married and a working” woman, from someone asking her about her plans to expand her family to why she doesn’t stay with her in-laws.

Talking about it, she tells us, “I don’t answer them because I’m annoyed. I answer them because I feel it’s not just me who gets these questions. I’m sure many others put up with similar questions. I don’t do it out of any frustration that I just have to answer this now.”

The 38-year-old adds that she doesn’t it to spread the message for the people who don’t know how to deal with them really well.

“Personally, I can shun not just patriarchy, but all sorts of judgments and norms in one corner and out of my life. I don’t really pay importance to them,” she continues, “But every now and then, I do bring up the topic, because then I can help others who are dealing with the same kind of situation”.

For Khan, it has always been about moving forward, rather away, from various judgement and perceptions. “You’ve to keep moving on from people’s judgments and ideas of life because they aren’t for you. But whenever you get a chance to break the myth, or put out a message, I always do that because if you don’t do it, then who will,” she explains.

And the actor likes to do it by adding a tinge of her touch and wittiness. “Something which is light in nature, but comes with a strong message that people need to read. In fact, when I pick my projects, I try and pick them thinking, will they be impactful? Will they leave a mark? Will people remember my character by the name of it or by what she does in it?” asserts the actor, who has been last seen in anthology series Kaali Peeli and Waapis music video with husband Darbar.

She wraps up by quoting her life motto, which reflects in everything she does, “If you don’t benefit people in some or the other way, then what’s the point of living.”