Ayesha Khan, who enjoyed the success of Sharat from Dhurandhar, has candidly addressed the dark side of being a woman in the public eye – from daily online sexual exploitation to actual threats of sexual violence and attempted rape in her life.
Ayesha Khan has candidly addressed the dark side of being a woman in the public eye – from everyday sexualization online to actual threats of sexual violence and attempted rape in her life.Speaking at the recent Mojo Story Summit, Ayesha shared how her honest confession about filming the song Shararat from Dhurandhar while on her period sparked widespread trolling – and revealed the deeper toll of harassment she has endured both online and off.
“If I have to think before I wear something…that’s a really sad place to be.”
When asked if she felt pressure to conform to certain beauty standards, Aisha said she had become confident in her appearance but acknowledged the harsh reality online.“I practically sexualize my body on Instagram every day,” she said. “I wear a plain T-shirt – people have a problem. I wear skirts – people have a problem. I have to think before posting anything.”She admitted that the consequences of this attention affect her emotionally: “If I have to think before I wear something or want to post something just because someone else is going to be sexual with me, that’s of course a really sad place to be in.”
There are days when you try to ignore it all, and days where the comments are more thoughtful — especially when people imply violent intent: “If you had the power, if you had the strength, if you could do what you wanted… you would do it. So what really scares me is that these are real human beings around us.”
“So have you received rape threats online?” -“Yes, every day”
When Aisha was confronted about whether she had received rape threats, she responded with stark affirmation.“Yes. Every day. I can open my phone now and show it to you.”
“It’s very normal,” she said, emphasizing how common such violations are for women in public spaces.She added: “Trolls are just there in every interview – you’ll see questions asked about these things – and that’s it. Nothing has been done. And it’s not a very new problem… it’s been around for a long time.”She also noted that this harassment is not unique to her, as almost every woman in the public eye has faced similar abuse.
Attempted rape and its lasting emotional impact
Aisha also shared her deeply personal experience with the violence that continues to affect her.She said, looking emotional: “I have been subjected to attempted rape in my life. I talked about that in an interview. I don’t want to delve into this matter too much.” “There are days, and there are times when it excites you… and scratches that wound that I don’t want to remember.”The idea of online threats becoming a reality in physical life terrifies her, especially when she thinks about everyday situations: “I might not have been as famous or safe as I am now…
“Something like this could happen again.”She explained that the frequent barrage of comments of a sexual nature – even when they are not overtly violent – increases fear. “To think that these are real people that are around you when you’re traveling, or when you’re on set… these are real people.”
Bigg Boss 17 contestant Ayesha Khan is facing trolls over threatening messages
An annoying real-life incident on the set
Aisha narrated a disturbing incident that brought online threats into her real world.“I was shooting a movie and my dad was there that day. I opened my Instagram account randomly, and there was a DM that I had been watching for a long time.
There were voice notes. She then revealed that he was one of the spot boys.She informed her father and production, and appropriate action was taken, making her feel safe at that moment. But the experience reinforced how intimate harassment felt. Aisha’s final remark was a sobering reflection on how visibility increases vulnerability: “If you decide you want to wear a miniskirt today and you want to post a photo… and your account is public… you’re in the public eye.”
