The topic of women getting equal pay and opportunities has been talked about a lot in Hollywood as well as Bollywood. Adequate representation of women in all fields is something that those fighting for women’s rights have demanded for many years now. In February 2016, the then-President Pranab Mukherjee had told Parliament in his pre-budget address that the government would recruit women for combat roles across the military. Last year, the Indian Army took the first step in that direction by opening up combat positions for women. Coincidentally, Nimrat Kaur’s web show The Test Case saw her playing Captain Shikha Sharma, who is the only woman in a group of officers training to join the Special Forces. Her character is also the first woman to undertake the course making her a “test case” for inducting women into combat-oriented roles in the Indian Army.
Nimrat, who hails from an army family, says, “Though I am from that background, this was a major awakening for me. I didn’t know it was only after 2016 that women could be seen in combat roles in the Army. I have grown up around women army officers. They were few and far in between, but they were there. I just wasn’t aware of this fact.”
Obviously, the actress is happy with the development and hopes that women are given equal opportunities in all spheres. “It made me realise that even if someone somewhere dreams of doing a job, there may not always be opportunities available to pursue their dream and ambition. Whether that person is capable or not is the secondary question, the main thing is that everyone should have equal opportunities. I am really happy that things are changing now,” she says.
