Reel vs. Real – My View Point

By Perkriti Malhotra

Edited by Shambhavi Singh, Associate Editor, The Indian Economist

“OMG ! Deeepika’s Cleavage Show”, that was the headline of an article by The Times of India. News of this sort fits the category of great masala news, to be talked over a cup of coffee.

Needless to say, this initiated a war between the actress, Deepika Padukone and the TOI. Through tweets, she raised her voice against the media house, for what is fair and justified. She said “I have breasts AND a cleavage, you got a problem?” In yet another tweet, she said “Don’t talk about women’s empowerment, when YOU don’t know how to respect women”. In an open letter titled “My View Point” to the Times of India, she challenged the media house while asking them to draw a line between what is REEL and REAL. She asked them if an actor’s eight pack abs would make the same cheap headlines for them. Instead of apologizing, TOI decided to carry the issue forward and in response to her “My View Point”, they published “Our View Point”. They accepted her Reel vs. Real Argument, but accused her for being a hypocrite, as there had been times when she had shown off her body voluntarily while not portraying a cinematic role.

So, we have a fair idea about both sides of the argument. Whose argument is more powerful is for us to decide. Here is my view point.

There have been times when Deepika Padukone has decided to show off her body voluntarily. I admit that wasn’t a part of a role she was playing. But to that I ask, so what? She has the freedom to dress the way she wants to and we do not have the right to question her. This is not because she is an actress, but a woman. In an age where we talk about women empowerment and equality, we do not have the right to question what a woman wears or how much she chooses to reveal because she is not asking for IT(Yes, sex). As she clearly mentioned in her letter, the one sign that a woman wants to have sex is when she says yes, and that is it.

TOI argued that they do not zoom in and show a woman’s vagina or nipples. Is that supposed to make people grateful? I would not be surprised that if an actress decides to go naked, that might very well be the next headline for them.

With all due respect to The Times of India, here’s the last word:

Dear TOI,

Showing magazine covers and calendars with Deepika’s pictures where she decided to show off her body while not portraying any role does not help bolster your argument in any way. What was your intention behind such a piece of news? Was it a grudge against the actress or was it some usual masala news for the readers in order to initiate a controversy? We applaud Deepika for standing up against what is wrong, and not letting it pass off as just another controversy. Next time when you decide to talk about a woman’s cleavage, you will think twice.

Regards

The Female Sex

Perkriti Malhotra is a student of Commerce at Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University. As a co-founder of a Start-Up Society and an editor of the College magazine, she loves coming up with new creative ideas. She writes about anything and everything that catches her eye. Community service is something she finds solace in. She is a passionate tennis lover and Roger Federer is someone who inspires her. A foodie, she loves to try out new places to eat. She spends her leisure time baking cupcakes and brownies and searching for new and interesting ideas on the Internet.