Iranian actress Elnaaz Norouzi, known for her work in Indian shows and films, including Sacred Games, had grabbed eyeballs last year, with her video against the morality police in Iran. In the video, she was seen stripping down from a burqa to a bikini. Elnaaz sure had a lot to say about the now global movement and its impact on her life.

Like many other Iranians, Elnaaz chose to move out of the country. “We fled Iran and sought refuge in Germany because of the (atrocities by) the Islamic Republic of Iran. We just couldn’t stay there. We needed a normal life,” she says.

Bollywood was always a dream, since Elnaaz was a little girl. “I grew up watching movies like Chalte Chalte, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Veer-Zaara, Sholay, all dubbed in German. I didn’t know Hindi then, but I would buy the album and listen to the music all day,” says Elnaaz.

Language barriers, cultural shock and not having a godfather in the industry were some hurdles when she began pursuing her acting career in India. “The biggest of them was not knowing anyone in the industry and trying to get myself into the sets; making my way up in the industry without any contact, especially which was ruled by the Bollywood bigwigs.”

Even when she did make an impression, she feels that she was never fully accepted and was always treated like an outsider.

Elnaaz keeps sharing her thoughts on social media about the atrocities meted out to Iranians by the authorities there – she recently took part in the ‘put a finger down challenge. She, however, says not many people are aware of the actual situation in Iran, and that if her videos put some light on what is happening, that would be a victory in itself.

“My family lives there and I know ground reality – I have firsthand information. Who better than me to protest and highlight the issue? They have started executing innocent people too, and 70% of people in Iran are living in poverty; all this need to be highlighted,” says Elnaaz.

Having been questioned by the morality police on a few occasions, when she visited Iran earlier, she has had personal experience. “A friend’s cousin was killed in the protest. Those who are tortured and killed, just become names in news reports, or hashtags on social media. But we must remember they are all people, they are with us and we know them all,” she says.