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Natural isn't sexy on its own, neither is Makeup. How does it matter? What's sexy is individuality. Sexy is YOU.
What is artificial beauty, anyway? Isn’t the whole concept about being you. How does it matter then if your You is different from mine?
I was probably ten when the concept of natural beauty came into my life. My mother was getting ready for an event and my curious self happened to ask my father, why wasn’t he getting ready. It was an earnest question but from the perspective of early 2013, it was rather controversial to expect my father to put on makeup but I say what I think and that’s exactly what I did.
My father by now very well accustomed to my curiosity said something that had a huge impact on me. It was a simple thing. He introduced me to the concept of ‘natural beauty. But the impact was multifaceted. I never made any effort to learn makeup and styling but I also became careless about my health. The line between self-care and self-pampering is very thin. Self-pampering, too, in a way is self-care but that’s exactly where I faltered. I refused to care about my body because I wanted to be natural. What followed was insecurity and lack of self-esteem during the most precious years of my life.
Today, as I look back at 18 when I am at a much better place in life at least, where mindset and perspective are concerned, my thoughts don’t align with my previous self anymore. I no longer think that I am a superior human because I chose to dump makeup when most of my peers experiment with it. On the contrary, I admire how skillful they are at makeup and styling.
Today, I no longer feel the need to compare myself to others. I always knew you cannot put people into boxes because no two people are ever the same but today I practice it. I am not good at makeup but I like skincare. I feel equally comfortable in a kurti and shorts. My choices don’t make me a certain type because I have no type. I am me and that’s my type. If you rather go natural, your choice. If you rather put on makeup, your choice.
That’s what everything boils down to, eventually. How are you morally superior just because you don’t have highlighted hair? If you are dying to get a tattoo but won’t because you rather be natural then it’s you who is letting others’ opinions of yourself affect your choices. The person who got that tattoo they wanted is at the very least aware of their choices and has the guts to stick to them. Now that is admirable. To have the guts to listen to your heart and do whatever you want.
Natural isn’t sexy on its own, neither is Makeup. What’s sexy is individuality. Sexy is YOU.
Image Source: Vivaan Rupani Images, Canva Pro
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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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