The Inspiring Story of A Bar Dancer's Daughter

Brut India

This bar dancer’s daughter went through years of sexual abuse but she fought past her trauma to become a drummer. Meet Sheetal from Mumbai.  Special thanks to ExpressO Talks for the footage.

Transcript

00:00When I was a kid, everyone used to tell me

00:02that if your mom is a bad dancer, then you will also become a bad dancer when you grow up.

00:31When I was a kid, I used to love to see my mom getting ready in the evening.

00:39Sometimes, I used to help her get ready.

00:42I used to help her wear a saree and do her makeup.

00:45In our village, every woman used to get ready in the evening.

00:48She used to get ready and stand in front of the taxi.

00:52But my mom used to sit in the taxi and leave.

00:56I didn't know where she used to go and what she used to do at that time.

01:01When I was a kid, everyone used to tell me

01:04that if your mom is a bad dancer, then you will also become a bad dancer when you grow up.

01:09But I didn't want to become a bad dancer.

01:12No one used to respect my mom's work.

01:22Every doctor, teacher, everyone works so hard.

01:27But on top of being a bad dancer,

01:29after dancing on the stage, they go back to the lodge and have sex with the customers.

01:33They earn money for us, for their children.

01:37When I was a kid, I used to feel very bad about my mom.

01:40Every evening, my mom used to bring a new man to the house.

01:45And one of them became my mom's husband and my brother's father.

01:57Not once, but again and again.

02:04At that time, I didn't understand what was happening.

02:08In my early childhood, I used to blame myself for what was happening to me and why.

02:13I was the one who was suffering.

02:15But I didn't understand because I used to call that man my father.

02:27In Kranti, I met a therapist.

02:30I made a lot of changes in my life, and I started not blaming myself.

02:47Then I got a scholarship in Washington, D.C.

02:51I studied there for a year.

03:21The End

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