Singer Shriya Rao, best known for her music in Nadaaniyan, has shared a disturbing account of an Uber ride, alleging inappropriate behaviour by the driver. The singer-songwriter said the driver repeatedly stared at her legs and became aggressive after she asked him to slow down. Rao has tagged Uber and urged the company to remove him from its platform.
Shriya Rao shares uncomfortable Uber experience
Musician Shriya Rao took to her Instagram and shared her uncomfortable Uber experience. “Just had the absolute worst experience with an Uber driver,” she wrote in the post. “I was in the car with two other girls. When we got into the car, the driver looked at me and acknowledged my face. But soon, every few seconds, he kept turning around to stare at my legs while driving. I felt absolutely disgusted and so unsafe in that moment.”
“He started speeding, and so I asked him to slow down, politely. He cursed me in Hindi and started driving the car even faster,” she added. Rao added, “All I could think of doing in that moment was breathing and not doing anything that would spark a bigger reaction from the driver. What was I expected to do—jump out of the car? As we got out of the Uber, he stared at my legs and looked me up and down in a DISGUSTING way multiple times. I couldn’t wait to get away from him.”
The incident has since gone viral on the platform, with people sharing similar instances of inappropriate behaviour by cab drivers. Rao tagged Uber and urged the company to remove the driver from its platform, citing the safety of other women passengers.
Who is Shriya Rao
Shriya Rao, who is now 19 years old (as per her Instagram bio), is a singer/songwriter from Mumbai, India, and has been a prominent rising singing star. She has composed over 15 original songs, mostly in the English R&B and contemporary pop genres. Her most recent contribution was doing backing vocals and arrangement for her first Dharmatic Entertainment film, Nadaaniyan, which starred Khushi Kapoor and Ibrahim Ali Khan. Even though the movie received a negative response, the songs were praised.
Work-wise, she is set to perform at Lollapalooza India in January next year.