Though a slightly indisposed, yet actress Krutika Desai Khan , known for roles in TV shows like 'Mere Angne Mein' and ' Ram Milaayi Jodi ', took time out to address a small gathering on World Literacy Day, organised by a spiritual club in Varanasi. Talking about the importance of education, Krutika was of the opinion that, "For fundamental things like democracy, peace, to curb infant mortality etc, basic literacy is important. But wisdom and knowledge and sanskar are equally essential, which I feel is the real literacy and this literacy should be a basic human right. Other things come after this. At the same time, we cannot negate education. With literacy one gets the confidence to express what one feels. This holds true, especially in connection with women, who often are hesitant and not confident, due to lack of education. Education for women is important to make her feel empowered. At the same time, women should strike a balance between going out for work and her home, as her role at home is very important. She holds the family together. The way she brings up her children, nobody else can. The presence of a woman is very important for her children, husband, her ageing parents and parents-in-law otherwise the social fabric will change drastically."Krutika Desai Khan (BCCL/ Unmesh Pandey)On the personal front, the actress reveals, "After doing my Post- Graduation in Psychology, I had plans to do PhD from a foreign university in Clinical Psychology but at that time I was doing teleshow ' Buniyaad ', so it did not happen. For me, the basic intelligence and wisdom that came from what my parents and grandparents taught me at home helped me in grooming my personality."Krutika, who played Shanti Devi in the show Mere Angne Mein, says, "Women actors don’t have much to do, in terms of roles after they turn 40. Till I was 40, I managed to play roles younger than my age. I was 22 when I played an 18-year- old in Buniyaad. For another show, I was 34 and I was playing a character in my early 20s . After turning 40, it was an uphill task and I had to toe the line. I don’t think anybody has the guts to cast me as a 60-year-old woman as a central character, in a commercial film. I have the ability to carry it off but people don’t have the guts to take the risk. In Hollywood they cast an 80-year-old Judi Dench and make a film on her. We still have to get there."The actress, who was coming after four years to Varanasi, was quite appalled to see the increased traffic in the city. "While commuting from the airport to the hotel, I told a friend of mine, who was accompanying me, that when I earlier came to the city I had realised that Varanasi or Kashi is not a place for just sight seeing. Yeh dekhne ka shehar nahi hai balki mahsoos karne ki jagah hai . I always wanted to stay in the city for a month in some non-descript hotel on the ghats but when I reached the hotel this time, after going through the traffic, I thought ke shayed yeh meri last visit hai. Since the last four years, traffic and pollution has increased a lot in Varanasi."

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