“Kisi bhi bacche ko galat tareeke se chhua toh, POCSO Pakad Lega.” If you sexually abuse a child, the law will catch you.
If that line sounds familiar, you may have heard it from Vidya Balan. She said it in the Child Safety Week 2025 campaign film above, and it stayed with people. Six in ten of those surveyed after the campaign could still repeat it. The film had a reach of over 4.6 million (46 lakh), and the campaign as a whole 173 million (17.3 crore).
Child Safety Week 2025 campaign film featuring Vidya Balan (English). To watch in Hindi, click here
From a Film Role to a Real-Life Cause
Vidya Balan came across Arpan’s work while preparing for her role in Kahaani 2, in which she played a survivor of child sexual abuse. “I was amazed by the kind of work Arpan does on the issue, especially working with children across age groups,” she said.
In 2018, she became Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador, and a year later she launched the very first Child Safety Week.
A Familiar Voice, Edition After Edition
In 2019, she called the first Child Safety Week “a fantastic initiative” and hoped it would gain strength year on year. It has. In 2020, with the week online, she asked everyone to break the taboo and start conversations on Child Sexual Abuse. In 2023, she launched ‘It’s Okay to Say No’, and in 2024 she backed #ProtectedByPOCSO alongside Kalki Koechlin, Tisca Chopra and Shweta Kawaatra.
2025: The Face and Voice of POCSO Pakad Lega
In 2025 came her biggest role yet, as the face of POCSO Pakad Lega, Hindi for ‘POCSO will catch you’. The campaign’s message was clear: If you sexually abuse a child, the law will catch you. Child Sexual Abuse is a punishable offence, and every child in India is protected by the POCSO Act. She carried it across film, print, digital and outdoor.
- On screen: a campaign film on YouTube, JioHotstar, Zee5 and MX Player, plus two social media videos, one launching the campaign and one for parents.
- On the streets: her face on BEST buses, MMRDA metro trains, Thane and Navi Mumbai buses, billboards and digital bus shelters, and life-size standees at three malls.
- In the news: front pages of Bombay Times, Mumbai Mirror, Delhi Times, Ahmedabad Times and Chennai Times.
At the launch, she said: “Child Sexual Abuse is punishable by law, and every child in India is Protected By POCSO.” She also urged all adults to speak up when they see a child in an unsafe situation. Actors Shweta Kawaatra, Manav Gohil and Anup Soni joined her, along with 16 well-known faces on social media.
Why Public Voices Matter in Child Protection
Child sexual abuse thrives in silence, shame and stigma. When a respected public figure talks openly about child safety, the conversation moves out of whispers and into living rooms, classrooms and workplaces. It signals that this is a subject worth discussing, not hiding. Most importantly, public voices remind parents, teachers and communities that protecting children is not someone else’s responsibility. It belongs to all of us.
And it works. Familiar voices have helped Child Safety Week grow in reach and in awareness. In 2024, the #ProtectedByPOCSO campaign had a reach of about 69.7 million (6.97 crore), and awareness of the POCSO Act grew fivefold from just 14% of adults in Mumbai before the campaign. In 2025, with Vidya Balan at its centre, the reach was 173 million (17.3 crore), and awareness of the POCSO Act rose from 20% to 47% among people surveyed.
What makes it work is simple: staying with the cause year after year, speaking clearly, and asking people to act. Vidya Balan has done all three since 2019.
Child Safety Week 2026: Stay Tuned
The eighth edition of Child Safety Week runs from Saturday, 14 November to Friday, 20 November 2026. Stay tuned to the Child Safety Week page for what comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador?
Actor Vidya Balan has been Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador since 2018. She has launched every Child Safety Week since its first edition in 2019.
What was Vidya Balan’s role in Child Safety Week 2025?
In 2025, Vidya Balan became the face and voice of Arpan’s campaign, POCSO Pakad Lega. She appeared in the campaign film, and on posters, buses, metro trains, billboards and digital bus shelters across Mumbai and Thane. The film alone reached more than 4.6 million (46 lakh) people. Through outdoor media, digital and social platforms, and partnerships with schools, NGOs and government bodies, the campaign reached over 165 million people across India.
What is POCSO Pakad Lega?
POCSO Pakad Lega, Hindi for ‘POCSO will catch you’, if you sexually abuse a child, was the theme of Child Safety Week 2025. It’s message: Child Sexual Abuse is a punishable offence. Every child in India is protected by the POCSO Act.
Why do celebrities matter in awareness campaigns?
Familiar public figures make a difficult subject easier to talk about. They carry a message into homes, phones and conversations it might not otherwise reach, and they help it stay in the mind. When a trusted voice breaks the silence, it gives countless others the courage to speak up, and that is how a message becomes a movement.
References
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, No. 32 of 2012, India (2012).
