Pankaj Tripathi: Sex without consent is sexual abuse even after marriage

Actor Pankaj Tripathi says he understands why women stay mum about issues related to their married lives, from domestic abuse to sexual abuse, after working on web series Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors.

Jan 11, 2021, 5:12 pm ISTNewsIANS

The show, through the story of Anu Chandra, portrayed by actor Kirti Kulhari, spotlights marital sexual abuse and the trauma the victim goes through behind closed doors. In the show, Pankaj is seen as a lawyer fighting Anu's case.

"It was unknown to me why women kept quiet when they went through some trauma in their personal life, they were tight-lipped when asked to share their problems. I, as a man, didn't really know how to decode it," Pankaj said.

"This issue exists in our society, whether we stay in liberal urban cities or places outside the city, so why not speak up. But after playing the character of Madhav Mishra and decoding why Anuradha Chandra killed her husband I finally understood why most women like her are not vocal about their problems," he added.

Pankaj continued: "Especially with issues related to their married lives because clearly the society demands them to be locked in the closed doors of their homes. Through this show, we hope that more and more women are invoked to share their problems and take the right step for themselves."

Now, the actor along with stars including Pratik Gandhi, Vijay Varma, Pavail Gulati, Nakuul Mehta and Karan Tacker, has featured in a video which talks about the importance of consent before getting intimate.

"Sex without consent is sexual abuse, before marraige and after marraige," Pankaj says in the video.

Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors also features Jisshu Sengupta, Ashish Vidyarthi, Shilpa Shukla, Pankaj Saraswat, Ayaz Khan, Kalyanee Mulay, Ajeet Singh Palawat, Khushboo Atre, and Tirrtha Murbadkar. The series streams on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.