Menu
Being a home maker, a mother, a wife and a working woman all at once is nothing short of a challenge and who better to speak to about the challenge than someone who lives it day to day. Actress Praachi Kowli Thakker, the wife of actor Pankit Thakker has been juggling her personal and professional responsibilities for more than a decade. On this Women’s Day the Neeli Chatri Wale actress speaks to us about women’s roles in society and how men should acknowledge those roles.
Over the past century, women’s role in society have changed drastically. What is the most important change according to you.
The woman of today stands tall on the threshold between traditional integrity and modern opportunity.Today, women have shouldered equal responsibilities with men and are ahead in all walks of life. They are achieving remarkable success in all fields at the same time multi tasking between personal and professional responsibilities.
If you were speaking to an alien how would you define being a modern woman to the species?
I don’t really think that any alien would be able to understand a modern woman and the relentless effort she puts into her daily life. Today’s woman is no less than any alien with super natural powers. In fact being a woman today is daunting and an extremely stressful task. She must know how to juggle family, work and responsibilities and in most cases, it’s a thankless job. The only thing which keeps her going is sheer own selfless love which holds more power than the physical strength of a man.
Out of all the revolutionary women in history, which woman do you look up to and why?
Every woman is unique in her own way/ I think every woman is a hero in that she has the capacity to achieve all that she aspires. The only difference between a worldly and successful woman and any other is that one chooses her dream and the other chooses to sacrifice it for the people she loves.
Today’s television series thrive on the concept of naari shakti but audiences still feel we have a long way to go before equality is achieved. What is your take on that?
Women themselves desire that their status and position in society should rise higher though a proper climate for such a change is still wanting. There is still traditional dominance of the authority of the male parents, husbands, and other elder members of the family and it often restricts the enjoyment of their legal rights by the women. The materialization of these problems still depends largely upon the attitudinal changes in society, the possibilities of which are really bleak especially in Indian society.The Indian male though wants to enjoy the perks n comforts the independent modern woman brings but is still not capable of appreciating her efforts to bring in such comfort. We as an industry are a reflection of that reality. As they say art imitates life.
If you had to spend one day living as a man with other men, what is one important advice you would give them when it comes to women?
Always give more than you take from her to stay a man in her eyes. Never take a woman for granted or neglect her. The moment you do, she’ll start scanning the field and you won’t know it. Be appreciative for all she does for you and show her appreciation for being in YOUR life. When you start acting like she should be happy she is in your life, she will go out to prove you otherwise. Never lay a hand on her, unless it is to caress her. Push a woman to fulfill her passions, and she will always be passionate about you. Stay in tune with the developments of her hobbies and projects, and she will be in tune with you. Even if she loves designing tiny hats for squirrels, what you should love is the excitement from her eyes whenever you see her doing what she loves. Treat your woman as if she were your precious daughter, more than you treat her as your mother — even if she is older than you. Women are like kittens. They love your attention, affection, pampering, to be spoiled, and really enjoy being showed and told new things. Remember, women will always have more options than men. They will only stay with the one who treats them best.Always trust a woman’s intuition and never take her mind for that of a fool. If she tells you something, but then you have to go and ask for someone else’ opinion in front of her, if she was right she will never let it go. She will start taking you for the idiot. All it takes is once. Always stand by your woman! If she is good and she is the one being wronged, if you sit down or do nothing or don’t value and respect her efforts she will be gone.
