Now let that sink in: Kriti Sanon marks Daughter's Day by flagging women's safety

Actor Kriti Sanon used Daughter's Day to shift the focus from celebration to women’s safety, saying the day should mean more than messages and posts if daughters still have to move through public spaces in fear. In a multi-slide Instagram post, Sanon highlighted the constant vigilance many young women are forced to practise in everyday life.

In her post, Sanon asked people to think about familiar fears: a daughter calling to say she is being followed by men, walking home alone while looking over her shoulder, or watching her phone battery die before she reaches safety. "From sharing her live location, to carrying pepper spray, to booking a cab instead of walking, or calling someone just to feel safer - we have forced her to make this her lifestyle," Sanon wrote.

She added that Daughter's Day would truly be worth celebrating only when women can live freely in public without fear. "The day a daughter can walk home alone at night, sit in a park after dark, wear whatever the hell she wants, take public transport without fear, or simply exist in a public space without calculating the risk of being assaulted... That is the day we should celebrate Daughter's Day," she stated.

Closing her message, Sanon spoke of a future in which women would no longer have to send "I've reached" messages after travelling. "That is the world our daughters deserve! And that is the world we owe them!" she wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti Sanon (@kritisanon)

Though Sanon did not name any specific incident, her social media activity coincided with outrage over the alleged harassment of a Class 10 student and her male classmate in Bihar’s Jamui. She recently reshared a post that read, "Guys, it’s not Men vs Women (sic)." It added, "It’s women vs. Patriarchal misogynist men & brainwashed women who think patriarchy is a sanskar (sic)."

Sanon also liked another post that questioned why violence against women does not draw the same level of outrage as commentary on an actor’s attire. The post read, "The fact that rape, domestic violence, and dowry deaths do not invoke much outrage in this country as an actress showing cleavage in a festive ad says a lot about our priorities (sic)." She did not issue an independent statement on the Jamui case, but her activity came amid ongoing public discussion around women’s safety.

According to police, the Jamui incident took place on the evening of September 19, when two Class 10 students were intercepted by a group of men while returning on a scooter. Police said the teenagers were restrained, assaulted, and subjected to physical and sexual harassment.Raksha Bandhan advertisement row

Sanon had earlier faced backlash in August over a Raksha Bandhan campaign for jewellery brand GIVA, in which she was seen wearing a bralette-style blouse with a cape and draped skirt. While some social media users, including actor Kangana Ranaut, questioned the outfit for a festive campaign, others defended her. Sanon responded to the row by writing, "Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline (sic)!" The brand later withdrew the advertisement amid the backlash, citing reasons of safety.

On the work front, Kriti Sanon was recently seen in Cocktail 2.- EndsALSO READ | How sensitive of you: Tillotama Shome reacts as fan mocks her fear for women safety