During a recent trip to Delhi, acclaimed actress Rasika Dugal, famous for her role as ACP Neeti Singh in the streaming series Delhi Crime, dedicated an entire afternoon to engaging with women from the city's GB Road red-light district. She listened intently to their life experiences, an encounter that profoundly impacted her perspective on privilege and social inequality.
A Journey Through GB Road's Reality
The actress walked through the notorious lane containing 77 brothels housing approximately 2,700 sex workers, witnessing firsthand the challenging living conditions and difficult work environment. Her visit included stops at various brothels where she conversed with the women residing there, many of whom had been trafficked into the sex trade.
Rasika also visited the Dream Village rehabilitation shelter operated by NGO Kat-Katha, where women and children from GB Road have started new lives. She spent time at The Bridge School, an educational initiative that prepares children of sex workers for enrollment in formal schools, where she interacted with students and shared stories.
Confronting Privilege and Social Inequality
The experience left the actress with a heightened awareness of her own advantages. "There are experiences which make you acutely aware of your privilege and the access that comes with it," Rasika reflected. "There is so much one takes for granted – basic security, safety, and education. A part of you feels angry recognizing this as a privilege because, in an ideal world, this should be everyone's to take for granted."
She described the emotional conflict that accompanies such recognition, noting that "a recognition of privilege often comes with guilt for me." However, she found purpose in this awareness, suggesting that "there would be meaning to this if we use the privilege to empower empathy."
Chilling Stories and Disarming Honesty
The conversations with sex workers proved both revealing and unsettling. "We spoke about how some of them came here and the circumstances that led to them becoming sex workers," Rasika shared. "Many of these were extremely painful stories but told in a matter-of-fact manner, and even with humour – it was chilling and disarming at the same time."
These narratives resonated particularly strongly with the actress given that Delhi Crime Season 3 explores human trafficking, and most women in GB Road brothels have been trafficked into the profession. The connection between her acting work and these real-life experiences made the stories "particularly hit home."
Inspiration from Kat-Katha's Work
Rasika's visit originated from her previous encounter with Gitanjali Babbar, founder of Kat-Katha, and two young girls from the organization at an awards ceremony where the NGO received recognition for their outstanding work. "I was very inspired by how cool and confident these young girls were," the actress noted, describing her immediate attraction to Gitanjali's "selfless and unwavering intent."
During her Delhi visit for promoting Delhi Crime Season 3, Rasika made time for this meaningful interaction, wanting to "spend an afternoon with the women of GB Road to listen to their stories" while also meeting students at The Bridge School and women from Dream Village.
Unexpected Connections and Shared Humanity
Despite the difficult circumstances, the visit contained moments of genuine connection and even fun. "It was almost like no ice breakers were needed. We broke into chatter pretty instantly," Rasika recalled. The group sat in circles with children, listened to music, and exchanged stories about school, studies, work, and life.
The experience reinforced her belief in human empathy. "With every project I do, I am always surprised and encouraged by how one can seamlessly empathise with or resonate with another person's life, even if it's been very different from their own," she observed. "Empathy is not as difficult as it sometimes is made out to be. It is pretty basic and intuitive."
Rasika's visit served as a powerful reminder that despite vastly different life circumstances, fundamental human connections transcend social boundaries, and shared understanding remains possible through open-hearted engagement with others' experiences.
