Tillotama Shome has firmly pushed back against a social media user who claimed she was dealing with “anxiety issues” after she shared a post reflecting on the concern she felt for a young woman she noticed at a traffic signal in Mumbai’s Juhu area. The actress’ original post, put up on Friday morning, wasn’t triggered by any actual incident involving the woman; rather, it captured the underlying unease that can linger even when nothing untoward has actually occurred.
Tillotama Shome responds to troll questioning her post
The post attracted a comment from a user, which has since been taken down. As per Tillotama Shome, the individual suggested that she appeared to be struggling with anxiety and should consult a doctor, while also questioning why she hadn’t simply offered the woman a ride in her car instead of posting about the moment on Instagram.Tillotama Shome did not hold back in her response. “Welcome to the conversation. Thank you for your inputs. How sensitive of you,” she wrote. She went on to note that anxiety is something a large number of people experience, expressing hope that the user would eventually come to understand it better and that this understanding would extend to the women he knows personally.Addressing his question about why she hadn’t invited the stranger into her car, Tillotama Shome admitted the idea had crossed her mind, but she held back out of concern that the woman might have perceived her as “mad” for doing so.She also directly countered the insinuation that her post stemmed purely from a place of privilege. “You are trying to turn this conversation towards my privilege. Am aware of it,” she wrote, adding that she had relied on public transport for most of her life until the Covid pandemic and had worked hard to earn the privileges she enjoys today.In a follow-up comment, Tillotama Shome revealed the contents of the now-deleted message, paraphrasing it as: “It seems like you have anxiety issues; take help from a doctor. If you really cared, you would have asked the girl to come and sit in your car; instead, you made a post on Instagram.” She pointed out that the original comment had also been accompanied by several laughing emojis.
What was Tillotama Shome’s original post about?In her post, Tillotama Shome described watching a young woman standing near a railing at a Juhu traffic signal, casually looking at her phone while several men walked by and glanced at her. Although she acknowledged that nothing about their conduct was overtly offensive, she still felt compelled to keep watching, hoping the woman would remain cautious, even as she wished she could move through life with a greater sense of trust in others.At one point, when a man walked unusually close to the woman, Tillotama Shome contemplated stepping out of her car, even though she recognised there was no clear reason to step in. The man simply walked past, and nothing happened. “This is Bombay, relax, relax,” she recalled telling herself.Still, the incident stayed with her. Days later, after waking up from a nightmare, she found herself thinking about the safety of women even within spaces like hospitals. Tillotama Shome admitted that nothing had actually occurred at the Juhu signal but stressed that this didn’t take away from the fear she felt in that moment.Her post also touched on broader concerns beyond just the Juhu incident, referencing a series of troubling reports involving rape, molestation, harassment, and moral policing — including a recent case involving a 17-year-old in New Delhi and an incident involving two students in Bihar whose harassment was filmed and shared widely online.
Tillotama Shome’s work front
Tillotama Shome, recognised for her performances in ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘Qissa’, as well as the series ‘Delhi Crime’, was last seen in Netflix’s ‘Ikka’, released in July. Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, the courtroom drama also features Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna in key roles.
