Actress Ridhi Dogra has shared a lengthy note on modern relationships, marriage, and feminism amid the ongoing debate surrounding the Twisha Sharma and Deepika Nagar cases. She called on young men and women to stop romanticising marriage and expecting fairytales.
Ridhi Dogra's Note on Marriage
In her note, captioned "It's a changing world," Ridhi Dogra wrote: "Over the past few years, a lot of heart wrenching incidents have happened to boys and girls after marriage. And no one is guiding us to understand the change in social and psychological conditions. So it's upon us to tell each other." She urged "young girls and boys" to "please stop romanticizing marriage" in 2026, emphasising that the world their parents grew up in has expired.
Advice for Young Men
Ridhi wrote: "Boys should know that girls will not do what you ask them to blindly. Because laws etc have empowered them. Today, they can get a job, a place to stay, an income and live peacefully in society. So they don't need to follow you and your orders like lambs. Girls don't need marriage for survival. For companionship, yes. But not for dependency. Even if they wish to, out of love, their individuality will try and knock their head time and again." She added that girls will be frustrated because the world has changed.
Advice for Young Women
The actress also urged girls not to expect their boyfriends to turn into Prince Charming after marriage. "They are human too and are figuring this new world out. It's more new for them because they have seen men being men. But if society norms have shifted and what was required of them earlier has changed too, please don't expect any fairy tale. Educate yourself. Live for yourself. And please stand up for yourself. Don't expect anyone to come and stand up for you." She advised marrying each other for love and respect, and marrying a person you love as a person. She also suggested keeping parents out of married life, stating that a respectful union is between two people, not a crowd.
Ridhi Dogra's Thoughts on Feminism
Ridhi then addressed feminism, writing: "True feminism is just equality. That's it. Nothing more and nothing less. When I speak for girls, I also speak for boys. When I argue for mental health, it's for both genders. Feminism was never about putting men down. Yes, it started all loud and angry because that's how every revolution starts. That's not how it is today. Today women have opportunities. Times have changed. What every woman fought for is existing in practice. Let's also never forget we are from the land of Shiv and Shakti. Both go together." She concluded: "And the only way that happens with love and respect for yourself and for the other. Let there be grace and dignity for both. Equally."
Background: Twisha Sharma and Deepika Nagar Cases
Twisha Sharma was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12. Her family has alleged dowry harassment and cruelty against Samarth Singh and his mother. A post-mortem report conducted at AIIMS Bhopal revealed suicide with marks on Twisha Sharma's neck consistent with hanging by a belt. Her death has triggered widespread discussion and allegations of dowry harassment, leading to demands from various quarters for an independent probe. Deepika Nagar, a 24-year-old woman, jumped to her death from the terrace of her marital home after being subjected to cruelty and mental agony over demands for additional dowry daily. After her alleged suicide on May 17, her family levelled serious allegations of dowry harassment and torture against her in-laws. Based on the complaint, police registered a case and initiated an investigation, arresting the deceased's father-in-law, Manoj, and her husband, Ritik, on May 18.
