Mallika Sherawat calls US VP Kamala Harris 'self-made', says women politicians are 'rare in India’

Mallika Sherawat

Mallika Sherawat recently gained attention on social media due to a throwback video where she was criticized by a journalist for labeling India as ‘regressive.' The actor has now commented on the influence of US Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, referring to an older post of hers. In that earlier post, she predicted that Kamala could become the future US President. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Mallika once again expressed her admiration for Kamala.

Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat praises US VP Kamala Harris

She praised Kamala for being a self-made leader, unlike many women politicians in India who come from dynastic or royal backgrounds. Mallika shared that she had attended a small fundraiser in Beverly Hills for Kamala when she was campaigning for California attorney general, and mentioned that, "I was feeling like a fish out of water. It was my first time in LA, and she really put me at ease. I remember her saying that getting out of your comfort zone is good to build character, and it'll make you a stronger person."

Mallika added, "Coming from India, female politicians are so rare. If they are there, they come from a very dynastic or royal family. Here I was meeting a lady who had built everything with her own two hands."

Why was Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat in the news recently?

Safety of women in India has once again become a topic of intense discussion following the brutal rape and murder of a Kolkata trainee doctor. Amid this, actress Mallika Sherawat took to her Instagram feed to share a video f her talking about the rampant gang rapes and sexual violence against women in the country. She was seen addressing the media at an event where she was questioned about calling India a regressive country. She is heard correcting the journalist by saying, "I said that India is regressive for women". She then went on to explain the reason for her statement.

"I'll tell you exactly why. This is my point of view. With female infanticide happening almost daily, with gang rapes making the headlines of every newspaper, and with honor killings - today, only I tweeted about it. Today, I read in the paper, that according to UNFPA, 40% of Indian women - 40% - are married below the age of 18. I think it's a very, very regressive state for women, and I stand by that.

She further added, "When an interviewer asks me what I have to say about these gang rapes, which are the headlines in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN - what do I say? Am I going to lie? Should I lie? As a woman, should I lie about the state of women in our country? So I didn't lie."