Sheena Chohan, recognised for her roles in recent films like The Fame Game and The Trial, is not just making strides in entertainment but is also a dedicated advocate for human rights. As a passionate human rights ambassador, Chohan has worked to impact the lives of over 160 million people across South Asia, championing equality and justice.
In conversation with SheThePeople, Sheena Chohan shared her insights on human rights advocacy, shedding light on her initial inspiration, the delicate balance between her acting career and ambassadorial duties, and her ambitious aspirations for advancing human rights in South Asia and beyond.
Dedication to Strong, Female-Oriented Projects:
Over time, Indian cinema has witnessed significant changes, with female characters evolving into more complex, independent, and empowered roles, reflecting the changing social dynamics and women's aspirations. Today, Indian cinema embraces a diverse range of narratives and portrays women as strong, ambitious, and multi-dimensional characters, highlighting their achievements and struggles in various spheres of life. Throughout her career, Chohan has primarily worked on strongly female-oriented projects.
Discussing the progress in Indian cinema, she said, "I think working on strong, female-oriented projects is a new wave, especially right now. Number one, I think the reason behind that is that everything comes down to the fact that there is a big change in people; they are accepting female-oriented roles. Number two, it's important to project female strength, so I pick roles where characters are strong, and I also think it comes down to delivering good acting performances."
She added, "I did theatre for five years before my first film, and then every role I took after that, I committed to that. So I think, whether it be female-oriented films, I just want to, as an actress, bring full conviction to my character, and so I select my roles accordingly. They have to be interesting. They've got to be strong and female-oriented projects."
Championing Human Rights
When asked about her journey into human rights advocacy, Chohan fondly recalls the moment she first encountered films produced by humanrights.com. These films struck a chord deep within her, evoking a flood of emotions that left her moved to tears. "They touched my heart and made me cry," she reflected. It was a profound awakening—an awareness of basic rights that resonated with her on a personal level.
She added, "From that day on I was motivated to spread awareness of these basic rights and equality, to help bring decency, respect and peace to society. It also answered a lot of questions I had in my own heart and violations I had seen since childhood in my surroundings."
Empowering Youth through Comprehensive Human Rights Education
Looking ahead, the actor envisions a future where human rights education is woven into the fabric of every school curriculum in India. Recognising the complexity of legal documents like the Indian Constitution, she emphasises the need for simplified, practical instruction that equips students with a thorough understanding of their rights and responsibilities.
Her vision extends beyond theoretical knowledge to practical application, advocating for education that empowers students to effectively utilise their rights. By providing access to government resources and legal frameworks supporting human rights, Chohan added, "It needs to be taught to full understanding in all schools - gone over in a simplified version and checked that children can give real-world examples of each right. Also, it needs to be studied from a point of view of how it can be used - what government resources are there for each right, what laws back those rights up, etc."
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