Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub is winning praise for his portrayal of a lawyer fighting to get justice for a sexual assault survivor in Hunkkaar - The Roar. Being a woman’s ally comes to the actor even off script. A case in point being his objection to the way women are depicted in songs that are shot to cater to the male gaze.

“It’s important for all of us to raise our voice against it because this idea of male gaze and how female body is being shown is problematic. It’s not an individualistic fight,” he said.

But change is hard to come in a society that is steeped in patriarchy. Ayyub shared one aspect of patriarchy that irks him is men’s self-appointed role as protectors of women — an idea that the JioHotstar series subverts as it shows Aneet Padda’s protagonist going up against her perpetrator.

“They say it’s a man’s duty to protect a woman. It’s important to note why a man does that — so that he doesn’t lose his authority over her. I feel men should be barred from stepping out post 7 pm. But they won’t do that. Instead, it’s said that girls shouldn’t step out at night,” he told us when we met him mid-September, unknowing that his words would turn prophetic in the aftermath of the recent Delhi rape cases.

The actor also emphasised his dislike for the phrase ‘Not All Men’, used as a defence whenever women talk about gender oppression. He added, “I say this that if someone [a woman] doesn’t know me, please beware [of me]. Be suspicious of me and of every man because it’s a cruel world.”

‘Hunkkaar - The Roar’ revolves around Aneet Padda’s character, a minor girl, who accuses a godman, played by Raghubir Yadav, of sexual assault.

With ‘Hunkkaar - The Roar’, actors Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aneet Padda, and Zoya Hussain have come together to tell the story of a 17-year-old who accuses a self-proclaimed Godman of sexual assault. Even as Hussain is happy that the JioHotstar series examines blind faith and demands consequences for sexual assault, it’s not lost on her that “the endless list” of microaggressions that women face goes unchecked.

Sharing an uncomfortable situation, the actor told mid-day, “You are taking public transport, and the men will stand extremely close to you and brush past your chest or bum. This is an everyday occurrence.”

Hussain added that misogyny is not something that women experience only outside their homes. “When somebody comes home for some work, they will speak to my partner way more respectfully than to me. There are so many microaggressions. It’s part of being a woman in this world,” she rued.

In sharp contrast to her attitude and beliefs is her role in ‘Hunkkaar’ — Hussain plays a disciple of the Godman. The actor said yes to the role as she saw it as a chance to learn about people who have blind faith. “On reading my part, my immediate feeling was why is she saying nothing, why is she obeying. But it explains itself. I have fortunately stuck with strong roles. So, it was interesting to explore this.”

On paper, Fatima Sana Shaikh’s character of ACP Jasleen Singh Soin was wafer-thin. Yet, the actor gave her nod to Hunkkaar - The Roar for a simple reason. She knew there was enough scope to flesh her character out, thanks to creators Nitya Mehra and Karan Kapadia.

“This is my first cop role. What profession you play is not important, your character’s motive is. Here, I knew there was a scope of a conversation between the makers and me to flesh out the character,” she began.

The JioHotstar series sees Shaikh’s cop investigate a case where a minor, portrayed by Aneet Padda, accuses a spiritual guru of sexual assault. The actor considers it one of her most creatively enriching experiences as the makers treated her as an equal. But that hasn’t been Shaikh’s experience in every room.

She elaborated, “In the same room, where they say they want you to play a strong part and lead a female-oriented project, they don’t want to hear your voice. So, the irony is that they want you to play a character who has a voice, but they don’t want you to voice your opinion.” 

The patriarchal attitude extends to women artistes too. Shaikh noted that many female artistes distance themselves from feminism. “Feminism is looked at as an abuse by them. It’s shocking that there are actresses who say they aren’t feminists. By being a feminist, I’m not snatching away a man’s rights; I’m just asking for equal rights for myself,” she said, before praising Priyanka Chopra.

“Priyanka Chopra calls herself a feminist and has a huge male fan base. If your intention is clear and you aren’t dumb about it, people will listen to you.”