Come Navratri and a lot of noise is raised around women empowerment, without having any real translation on ground. But there are a few genuine noises that break through this clutter and strive to promote women entrepreneurs. Renuka Shahane is one such force who not only believes in empowering women, but also equalising men with women. She recently posted photos of herself wearing a hand-painted Madhubani sari from an enterprise run by women from Bihar.

Shahane, says that her love for Indian weaves grew through her journey on Surabhi, a show on Doordarshan. “I have been a fan (of Indian art and craft) even before I did Surabhi. This is the most beautiful aspect of our culture that needs to be celebrated,” she says.  

Moreover, the 54-year-old actor has been giving a platform to women entrepreneurs through television shows as well. “Even today, in patriarchal mindsets, a woman’s work is considered lesser. People say ki aap as a hobby kar lo,” she says.

The mother of two boys, Shouryaman and Satyendra with husband, actor Ashutosh Rana, Shahane is a firm believer in sensitising boys. “We need to change the mindset of people. Social norms allow men a lot of leeway for basic things; they are not expected to follow certain rules. It is ok if they don’t, but a woman has to work double, struggle, learn self-defense. Ask the men to behave – isn’t that the easier way to go about it,” she asks.