Changing the face of reality

Anmol Rodriguez endured an acid attack survivor by her father at the tender age of 2 months. Her father poured acid on Anmol and her mother intending to end their lives. While her mother succumbed to her grave injuries, the infant was left behind to face the world alone. Life, in general, became hard for Anmol, and she had to go through various surgeries to suppress the impact of acid on her body. She had lost an eye and continues to live her life with a disfigured face. Rodriguez was sent to an orphanage in Mumbai where she spent her childhood with a hope to craft a better future.

However, the impact of the trauma was much deeply felt by Anmol when the children of her age did not mingle with her. Throughout her life, many people kept at bay from her as she didn't meet the "beauty standards" as per the society. With the zeal to turn her life around, Anmol secured a job but later had to quit as she faced discrimination at work as well. Disheartened, Anmol continued her education and eventually met a teacher who was not treating her differently. She was amazed to see her teacher - Kiran Gandhi's love and affection towards her, and it changed her perspective towards life. Her pain had lost its power on her, and her focus was reset to achieve her dream of becoming a model and to uplift others with positivity.

Through #Likeedreams initiative, Anmol feels empowered in reaching out to the youth of India via engaging videos to showcase her acting, modeling skills and inspiring others with her motivational videos.

She is setting an example for the society; how does it feel to be a role model for many?

Being an acid attack survivor, she felt grateful when people see her as a role model. But, in her case she urges people not to take her as an inspiration because of her harsh past. Rather, they should draw inspiration from her journey the way she conquered these obstacles to become an actor, model, and social media influencer. Likee, a global short video creating platform has given her a voice to be open about herself, not to hide her face and to spread good message to society through her videos. She is very thankful to people who have continuously supported her throughout the passage to become a role model for others.

"I would request all to love and embrace themselves in every condition. Don't let others to delude you and judge you, if they do! Just be yourself, ignore them and follow your heart. These are the few little things which will help you to go beyond your limits and will help you in life's voyage,"said Anmol.

About the movie 'Chhapaak' she said, "It will make a difference in the society. since we all know cinema is a reflection of our society, not just where society is presently and what it's doing now- but where society has been. I think through films like 'Chhapaak' will help people to understand the gravity of these issues and bring awareness in the society. I am very excited to watch the Film and I believe it will drive change in the mindset of the people, to accept people who have been the victim of acid attack. Movie-like this will surely draw people to a point to understand the pain of these survivors and outcast these cruel faces of society's evils",said Anmol.