'Where goddesses are worshipped, women are treated badly'

Television actress Sriti Jha, who plays the female lead in "Dil Se Di Dua...Saubhagyavati Bhava", says domestic violence is one of the most shameful things prevalent in a country like India where goddesses are worshipped.

Produced by UTV , ".... Saubhagyavati Bhava", which comes on Life OK, shows the stigma of domestic violence with Karanvir Bohra in the role of abusive husband and Sriti as his wife and the victim.

"I was very excited when I got the offer to play such a challenging role but when the shoot started, I was shocked to see the trauma which a woman undergoes while going through such an abusive relationship. This role is quite different from the ones I've done so far. It deals with bubbly girl Jhanvi's life that takes a different turn owing to the domestic rigors post marriage," the 26-year-old told IANS.

"I am glad I am doing such a challenging role and sometimes I feel proud to be the voice of all those women who are going through such a bad phase. I feel sad that in a country like India where goddesses are worshiped, women are treated so badly. It's actually a shame for the society," she added.

Sriti also feels that sometimes women don't show courage to get out of an abusive relationship because of social and family obligations.

"It's the responsibility of family, especially parents, to understand their daughter's feelings and motivate her to speak out. Girls usually feel that talking or discussing can affect their family's reputation, but it needs to be stopped for the sake of their lives. Also, in the hope that world will change for her, they tolerate everything but don't forget that the world can change but not the person's behaviour. There are chances that things can get worse," she said.

Sriti, who was born in Darbhanga, Bihar, made her television debut with "Dhoom Machaao Dhoom" and then featured in "Shaurya Aur Suhani", "Jiya Jale", "Rakt Sambandh" and "Jyoti".

In "Rakt Sambandh", she played a blind girl whereas in "Jyoti" she featured as a girl with a split personality. Sriti feels she is fortunate enough to play strong roles in today's time when most of the series are dominated by saas-bahu themes.

"I find myself extremely lucky to play powerful roles and known for playing something different from usual saas-bahu sagas. From 'Dhoom...' to '...Saubhagyavati Bhava', every role of mine has been different and at the same time challenging too. This is what I want to continue doing in future too," she said.

Like many television stars, Sriti too dreams about Bollywood but is not in a hurry to join the brigade.

"Today, most of the channels are targeting Indian women and that is why roles for actresses are more challenging and vast compared to male actors. Bollywood is definitely on my list, but I don't want to make a hurried decision. Let the right offer and right time come, I will happily grab it," she concluded.