Saba Azad: At the rate we procreate, we must talk about sex

Such topics need to be normalisedrdquo states Saba Azad during our interview highlighting how our society shies away from sex education and discussions on reproductive health Now the actor is bringing the subject right to our laptop screens with Whorsquos Your Gynac In the Amazon miniTV series by TVF she plays a gynaecologist who is scouting for patients for her new clinic In a chat with midday the actor discusses how the show explores an urgent theme and why she has been away from mainstream cinemaEdited excerpts from the interviewWhen was the first time you visited a gynaecologist Were you awkward during the visitI was 19 or 20 when I first felt the need to visit a gynaecologist I was awkward at first because it is not comfortable taking your pants off in front of the doctor Almost 30 seconds into it it was so technical that it didnrsquot feel muchA still from Whorsquos Your GynacWhat were your initial thoughts when you got the showI didnrsquot have any inhibitions This is a long time coming People should talk about sex reproductive health and have sex education At the rate that we procreate we must definitely be talking about these topicsIn the series it is shown that the menstruation is covered in sex education in schools but the topic of intercourse is ignored Your thoughtsI donrsquot think sex education has been made compulsory throughout the country It needs to be because it is ultimately about health and making adults aware about their bodies No one talks about reproduction and people are walking into life with halfbaked information Kids have a lot of questions about their bodies they must be addressed Open dialogue with parents or in school would be the best practiceWhen did you have this conversationIt was during sex education in school My parents never had this conversation with me Conversation on sex should be normalisedWhy do you think people are wary of going to a gynaecIn our culture we have attached shame to anything regarding reproduction which is weird because we procreate the most There is a sense of shame attached to sexuality and sex and it has been passed on from generation to generation So kids find it awkward to talk to their parents about it and vice versaYour Rocket Boys costar Jim Sarbh has bagged an Emmy nomination Did you congratulate himI am yet to call him This is a fantastic development We were all secretly manifesting itWhat do awards mean to youAwards mean something because itrsquos celebrating someonersquos hard work That said it also depends on the body that is giving out the awards There are a lot of award functions which are held for the purpose of making money and they do little to facilitate talent or go through a voting process But something as prestigious as the Emmys is wonderful and respectfulYou havenrsquot done too many films WhyI forayed into films with Dil Kabaddi 2008 and Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge 2011 After that I was being offered only college capers and romcoms I am a child of theatre and wanted something substantial I was bored of the offers coming my way Thankfully I am a musiciansinger and a theatre actor My hands were in several pies so I didnrsquot feel the lack of work I pulled back from mainstream cinema But as soon as the lockdown happened a lot of people came in the eyeline of casting directors Now I am finally getting meaty roles where I can sink my teethDoes cinema satisfy you as much as theatre doesI am in a transitional phase I have always been a live performer However over the last five years I have begun to enjoy being in front of the camera as much as I do on stage