Harshad Chopra admits his fear of gay men; recalls he once ran away from them out of fear
Mumbai, July 3
Television star Harshad Chopda, in a heart-to-heart conversations with Dheeraj Dhoopar, opened up about how fear and a lack of understanding once shaped his perception of the LGBTQ+ community.
He revealed that he had recently apologised to a gay man years after running away from him out of fear, stating that he just didn't know how to deal with gay men.
During a conversation on the reality show *Lock Upp Season 2, Harshad recalled an incident from the early days of his career after fellow contestant Dheeraj Dhoopar shared his own perspective on the LGBTQ+ community.
Sharing his experience, Harshad said, "Maine ek ramp walk kiya hai zindagi mein. Uske bhi paise nahi mile kyunki paise lene ghar jana hai." (I had once walked the ramp but just didn't take any money because for that I would have had to go to his house)
He then admitted that he had once panicked after meeting a gay man.
"Pehle na main bhaag jaata tha seedha. Samajh nahi aata tha. Uss insaan ko main kuch din pehle mila tha. Darr bahut lagta tha, uss time pe bhaag gaya tha bahana bana ke ki shoot hai. Usko pata tha ki shoot cancel hai phir bhi main bhaag gaya tha," he said. (Initially, I would just run away. I just couldn't understand. I had once met a gay man for the first time and I was very scared and I remember I made an excuse and just escape from that place)
Harshad added that when he met the same person again years later, he apologised for his behaviour.
"When I met him now, I went to him and told him ki 'Sorry I did not know how to deal with the situation'. I am not a confrontational person. Phattu (Timid) insaan hoon. Maybe it takes me longer but mujhe darr lagta tha," the actor shared.
Actor Dheeraj Dhoopar, further spoke warmly about his interactions with members of the LGBTQ+ community.
"I am so comfortable around gays. Lagta hi nahi hai. Personally, mera yeh opinion hai ki they are better human beings. They are more sensitive towards everything. They are wonderful," Dheeraj said.
The conversation took place during the latest episode of which explored the subject of sexuality, identity and societal acceptance.
During the breakfast hour, contestants of the show, were asked whether sexuality defines a person's identity, forms a part of it, or is shaped largely by society's perception.
Fashion influencer Sufi Motiwala was seen sharing his personal journey during the discussion, revealing that his parents still believe there is something wrong with him because of his sexuality,
— IANS
Reader Comments
I appreciate Harshad's honesty. But I also feel sad that he had to be scared in the first place. Our society teaches us to fear what we don't understand. The fact that he went back and said sorry shows growth. Dheeraj's perspective is also refreshing - "they are better human beings" - that's the kind of acceptance we need.
I am happy that such conversations are happening on mainstream TV in India. But I hope Harshad understands that running away or being scared is not the right response. We need to educate ourselves and our children to be more inclusive. Sufi's story about his parents still thinking something is wrong with him breaks my heart. 😢
Honestly, I think Harshad is just being dramatic. Running away from a gay man? That's plain homophobia, not "fear". But kudos to him for apologising later. However, I hope this isn't just for publicity. Dheeraj's views are mature though - we need more people like him in the industry.
Harshad calling himself a "phattu" (timid) is actually very honest. In India, many of us are brought up with such fears. But what matters is unlearning. The fact that he said sorry years later shows he has evolved. And Sufi's story about his parents is so relatable - many families in India still struggle to accept LGBTQ+ children.
What Harshad did was wrong, but at least he admitted it publicly. Most people in India would never do that. The real issue is that we still have section
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.