If the recent happenings at Bangalore have taught us anything, it’s that things can spiral out of control in crowds. Yet another sobering reminder was delivered at singer Atif Aslam’s recent concert at Karachi where a girl was being harassed by a couple of men in the front row.
Despite her proximity to the stage (and hence, the bouncers and police manning the barricades), things only came to a stop when Atif himself motioned to his guitarist to cut the music. He then proceeded to haul the girl up onstage and requested the bouncers to place her elsewhere. “”Haven’t you seen a girl? Your mother or sister could be here as well,” he snapped, before adding, “Insaan ka bachcha ban” [Act like a human being].
Atif’s Good Samaritan deed adds to the chorus of celebrities taking a stand against harassment, both in real life and online. Akshay Kumar recently posted a video ranting about the blatant victim-blaming that followed the mass molestation incident in Bangalore. (Watch it here.) “The Bangalore incident makes me feel we are evolving backwards, from humans to animals, rather beasts cause even animals are better!” he wrote along with the video, that has since charted 11 million views.
And let us not forget that time when frequent ELLE cover girl and fabulous momma-to-be Lisa Haydon took matters into her own hands when Kamaal R Khan tried to objectify her on a public platform.
And while Alia Bhatt is more than capable of dealing with haters on her own, alleged beau Siddharth Malhotra bristled on her behalf when Kamaal R Khan (again) tried to pass sleazy comments on her clothing choices.
Taking a stand may not always have worked out well for celebrities, but here are the ones who voiced their opinion, dealt with the backlash and lived to tell the tale.
