Saloni Chopra

Last updated

Saloni Chopra
Born
Saloni Chopra

Mumbai, India
Nationality Australian
Other namesTina [1]
Occupation(s)Actress, Model, Author
Years active2013-present

Saloni Chopra is an Indian-born Australian actress, model, and author, who works in Hindi films and television. Her book Rescued by a Feminist: An Indian fairy tale of equality and other myths was released in December 2020. In 2018, she joined the Me Too movement (India) after making allegations of sexual harassment against Sajid Khan.

Contents

Early life

Chopra was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. [2] As a child, she had an acting role in the film Prem Granth . [1] She was raised by her maternal grandparents in Adelaide, Australia, [2] [3] and at the age of 18, returned to India. [3] Her mother was a costume designer, and Chopra assisted her on film sets. [3] She briefly attended the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). [2] [4]

Career

Chopra was assistant director for Krrish 3 and Kick (2014 film). [2] She has also worked as a stylist for Randeep Hooda. Her acting career continued with the 2013 short film Maya, [5] screened at the Cannes Festival. [2] She made her television debut on the 2016 show MTV Girls on Top as Isha Jaisingh. [2] [6] According to MensXP, "her turn on the MTV show Girls on Top in 2016 earned her a fan base of young women passionately relating to her words". [3]

In 2016, she posted what The Indian Express described as a "bold photoshoot" and an "attempt at breaking stereotypes in the society and highlighting sensitive issues pertaining to women" on her Instagram account, [7] [4] [2] followed by a five-part series of photos and essays. [8] In 2018, she posted additional photos that India Today reported were created because Chopra "wanted women and men to celebrate their flaws as nobody is perfect". [9]

She appeared in the 2018 Bollywood film Race 3 [10] and in the 2018 television series Screwed Up. [2] [11] She also starred in the web series Waking Up With Maggie. [2] As a model, she was featured in MensXP, on the November 2018 magazine cover and in a collection titled, "MeToo: Sona Mohapatra, Kubbra Sait & Saloni Chopra". [12] [3]

In December 2019, Reuters reported on Chopra's role as an "Instagram influencer" in a campaign to petition for "safe streets, helplines, justice and sensitive police" and "action from authorities, from local police to the prime minister" in response to brutal violence against women in India. [13]

In December 2020, she published her book, Rescued by a Feminist: An Indian fairy tale of equality and other myths, a collection of essays on a variety of topics, including gender equality, violence against women, and social media, [14] [15] as well as anecdotes about her experiences. [16]

MeToo activism

On 11 October 2018, during the Me Too movement (India), Chopra publicly shared allegations of sexual harassment by director Sajid Khan [17] [18] [19] from when she had worked as his assistant on the film Housefull 2, [3] and allegations against director and producer Vikas Bahl. [20] She also alleged that Zain Khan Durrani had physically abused her when they were in a relationship. [21] [22] After Saloni's allegations, actress Rachel White also made allegations against Sajid Khan, [23] which led to him stepping down from directing the film Housefull 4 . [24] [25] [26] In response, Chopra publicly thanked her supporters, including Akshay Kumar, who had asked the Housefull 4 producers to "cancel the shoot until further investigation", and she expressed regret for not speaking out sooner. [27] On 21 October 2018, The Times of India reported that Chopra "has not only spoken about her horrifying experiences but is also inspiring many others to do the same", and that Chopra "feels it is about time we started talking about it and addressed the sexism that exists in the industry". [22]

In a November 2018, Buzzfeed News profile of the #MeToo movement in Bollywood, Chopra shared her story, including about how she "tried to warn people in the industry about Khan, but she told BuzzFeed News she was told to take it in her stride". [28] In December 2018, after the Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA) announced that it was suspending Sajid Khan for a year due to the multiple sexual harassment allegations, including from journalist Karishma Upadhyay, [29] Chopra stated, "For now, I'm glad for the decisions IFTDA has made, change must begin somewhere". [30]

In 2018, Bhawana Bisht of SheThePeople described Chopra as one of the "significant pillars" of the #MeToo movement, because she "engaged in a powerfully honest and thought-provoking conversation about #MeToo and the cause they’re all fighting for". [31] During a panel discussion, Chopra said she decided to publicly disclose her story because "It was time to practise what I preach. What is the point of speaking about women every day if I don't do what I stand for." [31] Bisht reported that another panelist, general secretary of the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA) Sushant Singh, was "aback by the fact that there were next to zero abusive messages he received while, on another side, these women survivors were being trolled consistently". [31]

Honors

Filmography

YearTitleRoleLanguageNotes
2018 Race 3 Hindi [33]

Television series

YearSeriesOTTCharacter
2016 MTV Girls on Top MTV Isha Jaisingh
2018 Screwed up Maggy

Works

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References

  1. 1 2 "Madhuri Dixit's young co-star in Prem Granth is Saloni Chopra of MTV Girls On Top. See her pics". Hindustan Times. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kapoor, Aekta (2 May 2018). "Saloni Chopra on Social-Media Activism and the Body as a Feminist Statement". eShe. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "#MeToo And The Sum Of Its Parts". MENSXP. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  4. 1 2 Srivastava, Namrata (6 December 2016). "Saloni Chopra: Breaking the mould". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Maya Short Film Official Cannes Selection 2013". 20 April 2013 – via YouTube.
  6. ↑ Suthar, Manisha (3 March 2018). "Saloni, Ayesha, Barkha nostalgic about their journey on MTV Girls On Top". The Times of India .
  7. ↑ Shekhar, Mimansa (24 August 2016). "Saloni Chopra makes a strong point about rape, sexuality and slut shaming with a bold photoshoot, see pics". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Das, Ria (7 December 2016). "Check Out Saloni Chopra's Photo Series On Rape, Slut Shaming". SheThePeople.TV. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Web Desk (8 September 2018). "TV actress Saloni Chopra posts a topless picture; asks women to celebrate their flaws". India Today. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  10. ↑ Webdesk, DNA (13 January 2018). "This 'Race 3' actress was one of the background dancers of 'Race' 10 years ago". Daily News and Analysis .
  11. ↑ Suthar, Manisha (3 March 2018). "Varun Jain, Saloni Chopra and Shishir Sharma in an upcoming web-series 'Screwed Up'". iwmbuzz.
  12. ↑ Dabas, Rhea (13 November 2018). "MeToo: Sona Mohapatra, Kubbra Sait & Saloni Chopra". MensXP. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Srivastava, Roli (12 December 2019). "REFILE-'It could've been me': India women demand safety as recent rapes prompt hundreds of petitions". Reuters. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Jerath, Manasvi (20 March 2021). "'We need to stop glorifying sacrifices of womxn': Actor-Author Saloni Chopra". Moneycontrol . Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  15. ↑ Gupta, Rudrani (19 February 2021). "Rescued By A Feminist: Saloni Chopra's Book Is A Guide To Build A Feminist Generation". SheThePeople.TV . Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  16. ↑ Kuenzang, Karishma (7 December 2020). "Social Media Star of the Week: Saloni Chopra". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  17. ↑ "After All The Years Of Silence, TV Actress Saloni Chopra Accuses 'Housefull' Director Sajid Khan Of Sexual Harassment". The Times of India. 12 October 2018.
  18. ↑ TNN (12 October 2018). "#MeToo: Saloni Chopra accuses Sajid Khan of sexual harassment". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  19. ↑ India Today Web Desk (12 October 2018). "Saloni Chopra: Sajid Khan told me casting couch was not about one-time sex". India Today. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "After all the years of silence, here's #metoo". medium.com. 11 October 2018.
  21. ↑ "Model Saloni Chopra accuses actor Zain Khan Durrani of violent physical abuse". Deccan Chronicle. 14 June 2018.
  22. 1 2 TNN (21 October 2018). "#MeToo movement: Saloni Chopra feels that it is about time we address the sexism that exists in the industry". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  23. ↑ ABP News Bureau (12 October 2018). "#MeToo: After Saloni Chopra, now Rachel White accuses Sajid Khan of sexual harassment!". abpLIVE. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "#MeToo: After Akshay Kumar cancels shoot, Sajid Khan steps down as director Housefull 4". Express. 13 October 2018.
  25. ↑ "Sajid Khan, Accused Harassment, Quits Housefull 4 Till He Can "Prove The Truth"". NDTV. 12 October 2018.
  26. ↑ Zee Media Bureau (20 January 2021). "Sherlyn Chopra accuses Sajid Khan of sexual misconduct, shares horrifying details". ZeeNews. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  27. ↑ "Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar condemn Sajid Khan; express solidarity with victims". The Economic Times. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  28. ↑ Jha, Nishita (3 November 2018). "Bollywood Needs A Time's Up Movement. Here's Why It's Not Happening Anytime Soon". Buzzfeed News. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  29. ↑ "#MeToo: Film Body Suspends Sajid Khan for One Year Over Sexual Harassment Allegations". News18. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  30. ↑ IANS (13 December 2018). "Saloni Chopra on Sajid Khan's IFTDA suspension: Change must begin somewhere". The Indian Express. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  31. 1 2 3 Bisht, Bhawana (29 October 2018). "Where To From #MeToo: The Way Forward In Bollywood". SheThePeople.TV. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  32. ↑ "Cosmo India Blogger Awards 2019—Meet the Winners!". Cosmopolitan.in. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  33. ↑ "Race 3 cast Crew". filmibeat. 15 June 2018.
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