Leading from the front

Deepika Padukone takes a stand on the issue of crossing the thin line of propriety

It’s quite the season for ladies taking centrestage. Finding Fanny that has Padukone turn in a sterling performance has been in news for mostly the right reasons (barring the controversy about showing Karnataka in a poor light) but it is the actor’s recent lash-out against a leading news daily that used a photo of her cleavage on their website with unsavory comment that went : “OMG: Deepika Padukone’s cleavage show,” which has stirred a hornet’s nest.
The spunky spitfire that she is, the actor retorted with a, “Yes, I am a woman, I have breasts and a cleavage…” But obviously her brave “breast declaration” long after Mallika Sherawat’s “men only talk to my b****” though in a different context has immediately won favour with legion of women across the spectrum.
Adding insult to injury, the said website, in response said, “It’s a compliment! You look so great that we want to make sure everyone knew! :)”
Such photographic outrage has been going on for some time now, with photos of wardrobe malfunction generously sprinkled across pages, with the obvious intent of generating traffic to these pages. Surprisingly, not too long ago, it was actor Imran Khan and not a female actor who drew my attention to this very sexist practise which seems to have gained currency.
After our little conversation on the perils of the peeping camera, I began to observe photographs of celebrities more closely in order to ascertain the veracity of his allegation. And it was true. What had probably started off as unintended and accidental shots of some celebrity ‘oops moment’, fetching a few chuckles or laughs in private, somewhere down the line has transmuted into the horrifying practise of angling for photos that offer a glimpse of a panty hose, cleavage or any other, before putting it out there for voyeuristic consumption!
Of course, it did not help that a battery of wannabe celebs warmed up to this , rather happy-to-provide the paps that little peek-a -boo for some media coverage. And then there is the whole argument about why glamour girls stepping out in clothes that reveal are “asking for it.”
The argument is alarmingly similar to one that is oft trotted out in instances of rape or sexual assault—that the victim was asking for it. Does a woman especially a celebrity turned out in clingy or revealing outfit does not deserve the dignity of unsavory photos of an unintended peek-a-boo moment, being discarded? Surely, the puerile argument that objectionable and unsavory content is generated simply due to a demand for it, has run its course?
In present times, when there is an ongoing debate raging on safety of women and sensitising society at large, such detrimental practices can surely be debunked.
That Padukone has spoken out and earned herself scores of supporters—celebrities or otherwise—offers a clear indication of where the popular sentiment lies. Hopefully, it’s heft will compel the camera focus to shift as well.
As for Ms Padukone, go on and take a bow for being a true leading lady.