A woman kneels in prayer at a mosque in Kashmir, India.

Dargah Haji Ali is a famous landmark in Mumbai and attracts thousands of visitors every year. The glittering marble structure is laid out on a rocky bed 500 yards into the Arabian sea off the coast of South Mumbai. The iconic shrine has inspired odes from Bollywood and has been sought out by people of all religions over the decades, but soon, women will be denied entry into the famous shrine.

Love’s labour is lost in a country where many women feel that they are not treated equally and are even denied basic constitutional rights. Controversy is never far away because girls’ schools are burned down denying them education. A shot in the head as in the case of Malala is enough to kill off any revolution stirring a woman’s right to freedom of expression.

The first time I met her, I noticed her branded handbag, her golden wrist watch, her light pink wrinkle-free coat and a black chiffon scarf carefully wrapped around her head. I wondered if that was what she was all about. In my next talk with her, I realised there was more to her than her impressive carriage and subtle, yet strong arguments.

Most of the women in Indian administered Kashmir never think of choosing theatre as a career option. Even if they want to be a part of theatre, the conservative set-up forces them to opt for a more “decent” career choice. In a place where no woman has ever dared to work for theatre, Ifra Kak took the first step. Born and brought up in Jammu, Ifra is the daughter of Mushtaq Kak, a well known theatre actor and director.

There are reports of Jimmy Savile’s involvement in child abuse cases on almost every news site in the UK. Jimmy Savile, a famous TV personality, passed away last year. He is accused of sexually abusing nearly 200 girls and one boy. Most of the cases date back to the 1960s and the 1970s and complaints are pouring in nearly one year after he died.