Pitiable for woman to catch culprit but unable to take action: Amitabh Bachchan

Kolkata: Expressing anguish that women are often embarrassed to speak up against incidents of violence, megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday said it is a "pitiable" condition for a woman to have caught the culprit and not be able to stand up against it.

The "Pink" star lauded actress Tapsee Pannu, who features in a pivotal role in the courtroom drama on crimes against women, for sharing with the public that she has been a victim of eve-teasing and her experience of being touched at the "wrong places" while in a crowded area or while travelling in a local bus.

"One day somebody tried to feel her and she actually caught his hand but she did not have the courage to turn around and see who he was. It is a pitiable condition for a woman to have caught the culprit and not be able to take a stand against it."

"When are we going to do that? I think 'Pink' is one film that is asking us to stand up and face these issues. I laud the fact that she has shared this with us," Bachchan said here.

Asserting that "Pink" is no longer a film, "it has become a movement", Big B said people don't realise what women go through when they are cat-called, teased or felt publicly in awkward places.

"We have no idea about that and women are scared to say because they feel it's embarrassing... it would be embarrassing for their family... for themselves... for people at large. But I think the time has come that they should never feel embarrassed."

"Women when they go through this... they are scared to go to police station and lodge a complaint because it is embarrassing for them. I think 'Pink' has shown that if there has been something bad that has happened, then please don't be afraid to go to police," he said.

Big B acknowledged that violence against women is not restricted just to India.

"We are not the only country that is facing this," he said, recounting how a Swedish girl, who watched "Pink" wanted to take the film to her country.

"The law is changing now. We had one of the ministers over in Delhi to see the film and he said 'thank you because I am going to bring this aspect and make it a law that a woman has the right at any time of the day, night, whenever, that if she has a complain she should be accepted, acknowledged at that moment that it happens'."