Charu Asopa on being denied a home: I was told, ‘Koi mard nahi hai ghar mai’

In a shocking incident recently, actor Charu Asopa faced discrimination while attempting to secure a home for herself and her daughter Ziana. Narrating the encounter, she reveals, “I took a break for one hour between shoots to attend a society meeting of my soon to be new house. Everything was finalised and had even submitted the token money. The members of the committee were mostly males, and there was only one female,” further adding, “She asked me, ‘Kitne log rehne wale hain?’ I told her that it would be me, my daughter, and two maids. She said, ‘No, hum single mothers ko ghar nahi dete’. I asked her the reason, but she said she doesn’t want to go there or entertain any further discussions on this. She was very rude to me. I was trying to convince her.”

When Asopa tried to understand the basis for this exclusion, the lady wasn’t up for any further conversation. “Tragedies hoti hain logon ki life mai, but you can’t do this. She wasn’t ready for any discussion and said, ‘Aap mera time waste mat kijiye, mai subah subah apna mood nahi kharaab karna chahti’. It was very heartbreaking for me and I couldn’t control my tears,” shares the 35-year-old, as she elaborates the incident almost crying, with a breaking voice.

Expressing her disbelief, the actor shares that she was “shocked” at the unjust nature of such discrimination. “Aisa lagra tha jaise ek single mother hona gunaah hai koi. Isme kisi lady ka koi kasoor nahi hota hai. If tomorrow, someone buys a house and then gets divorced, would you kick them out of the house?”

Despite the setback, she remains resilient. “I am not going to get that house now. There is no way out as they have even returned the token money. They said that society rules allow only families. I even told her that my mom keeps visiting, to which she replied, ‘Koi mard toh nahi hai na lekin ghar mai’. I couldn’t believe my ears. The other society members didn’t even say anything,” Asopa quips.

“Ghar toh mujhe mil hi jaayega, himmat meri toot ti nahi hai aise. Ek baar dhakka laga, but I will be fine. Ek lady hokar vo aisi baatein karahi thi, so it was shocking. Such things have happened earlier also, but not so openly on my face. Ek ladki hona galat baat hai kya? I didn’t let my courage break because of this, but if it was someone else, shayad vo toott jaati,” she wraps up.