Mumbai: Actress Kritika Kamra has sparked a powerful conversation about feminism, declaring that the term has been “misunderstood, demonised, and twisted beyond its meaning,” while urging women to reclaim it with pride.

“It’s honestly a pity that so many women today hesitate to call themselves feminists. Being pro-women’s rights does not mean hating men,” Kritika said, dismissing the negative connotations often attached to the movement.

The actress stressed that feminism stands for fairness, equity, and empowerment, not confrontation. “We’ve reached a stage where standing up for your own gender is almost seen as being confrontational. That needs to change,” she asserted.

Kritika, known for taking on layered roles, said her choice of characters is guided by her belief in stories that challenge stereotypes and highlight women as multi-dimensional. “The characters I play, the stories I choose, they should reflect a perspective I stand by. To me, that’s not just art, it’s responsibility,” she said.

On the work front, Kritika will be seen in Anusha Rizvi’s next, co-starring Juhu Babbar and Shreya Dhanwanthary, shot extensively in Delhi and currently in post-production.

She also features in “Matka King”, directed by Nagraj Manjule of Sairat fame, alongside Vijay Varma, Sai Tamhankar, Gulshan Grover, and Siddharth Jadhav. The series explores the rise of the notorious gambling game in 1960s Mumbai and is produced by Roy Kapur Films.