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Actress Shweta Basu Prasad won our hearts with her performance in movies like Iqbal, and Makdee. This video of Shweta Basu talking of her experiences after being accused of prostitution, is motivating.
We were all shocked when Shweta’s name appeared in an alleged prostitution case in Hyberabad two years ago. I could not relate the image to her character of the adorable Shruti in the TV series, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki in which she played the female protagonist, Parvati’s daughter.
The case attracted media hype and attention. There was a statement circulated by the media that Shweta had accepted the charges. Some celebrities sympathized with her, while others condemned the media for not reporting on the businessmen allegedly involved in the racket, and maligning the woman alone.
In an open letter to the media, Shweta later said that the charges and the statement were both fabricated. According to her, she was in Hyderabad for the Santosham Awards and her stay at the hotel was sponsored by the event organisers. The charges were subsequently withdrawn by the session courts in Hyderabad.
What would a young girl who has been through such an unpleasant and disturbing experience have to say? Wouldn’t she be bitter, embarrassed and humiliated by the whole episode? I was surprised to watch this interview video of Shweta Basu’s in which she confidently talks about moving on and how she is not going to let that one incident affect her (video shared below).
She says that would like to focus on her work, and is excited about her future acting assignments, which she wants to achieve on her merit, and not out of sympathy. She also recollects that after her detainment, she went to a rescue home where she stayed for 60 days. She speaks fondly of the time spent there, teaching kids Hindi, English and Hindustani Classical vocals, reading books and engaging herself productively.
Shweta is not indulging in self-pity and refuses to let herself be treated as a victim:
“The problem with our society is, as long as I was given sympathy and everyone went ‘awwww’, ‘poor girl’, ‘so sad’ and so on, everybody was supporting me. But, as soon as people understand that they got carried away by a false statement and a girl of 23 can be strong and can stand on her own feet without any sympathies, the society feels that she is lying?? What’s my fault if the news were the way they were? I cannot force anyone to like or respect me. These happen naturally. What happened was beyond my control.”
We have seen cases of women being depressed and humiliated by unwarranted media attention and cyber-crimes and may feel that they cannot recover from the damage. Shweta has spread a positive message about being strong in the times of distress, learning from the past and moving on.
Any woman, not necessarily a celebrity could go through an experience that is considered scarring by society, but life is too big, and has much more to offer. I respect Shweta for understanding this at a young age of 23!
I like to write about the problems that have plagued the Indian society. I feel that the concept of gender equality is still alien , and that has been the focus of my articles and posts. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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