MUMBAI: Falaq Naaz, my co-star from the show Shankar Jaikishan 3 in 1, was the latest guest on my show, Share and Grow Spotlight. We couldn’t stop ourselves from reminiscing about the show and talked fondly about our experience.

One of the incredibly heart-breaking parts from our conversation was when she detailed the last time she ever saw her father. Her descriptive narration brought tears to our eyes. She further divulged that she hasn’t seen him since. It was touching to see that she felt comfortable enough around me to reveal such a personal aspect of her life.

Falaq’s childhood was full of turmoil, but she never let it bring her down. Her chirpy, vivacious voice can wake a corpse up. Even in this day and age, society still believes that women are inferior to men. This conversation touched a nerve, and I empathised with Falaq as I heard her thoughts on this vital issue. I believe that an empowered woman is a force to be reckoned with, and Falaq is living proof of this.

While Falaq detailed her childhood and family background, what I found interesting is that although it was reiterated throughout her childhood that women are ‘weak’, with a strong female presence, her mother, she chose to shoot down all the naysayers and rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

Her rise to fame is incredibly inspirational, and she has worked exceptionally hard to reach this level. The small-town girl was a dancer initially. Subsequently, she started acting. Her fond memories about competing at a course at IFTI and dancing in front of choreographer Saroj Khan were extremely touching. Saroj Khan empowered her to come to Mumbai and supported her in making a name for herself. What if everyone empowered women rather than bring them down? I believe that our country would grow at a faster rate if all the women were given the freedom to follow their hearts.

This episode opened my eyes to a different aspect of Falaq’s life. She is a fighter and I am proud to be her friend.