"A woman is free to say yes or no to the way she`s projected on the screen," says actress Sharmila Tagore adding that if a woman enjoys doing a certain thing on screen, "it`s her prerogative".
|Last Updated: Mar 08, 2013, 07:23 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Mumbai: "A woman is free to say yes or no to the way she`s projected on the screen," says actress Sharmila Tagore adding that if a woman enjoys doing a certain thing on screen, "it`s her prerogative".
"I think we need to judge commodification in the given context. The problem is of individual contexts. A woman is free to say yes or no to the way she`s projected," said Sharmila who has been part of filmdom for over five decades.
"But we don`t know what the compulsions are for what girls do on screen. Sometimes they`re too young and naive to know where the camera is placed and how they`re captured," added the actress known for her work in ‘Aradhana’, ‘Satyakam’, ‘Anupama’ and ‘Amar Prem’.
However, she feels that there is no set criteria for commodification of a woman.
"But women can be commodified even in a wedding sequence. And why single out women? Even men are being commodified. And women are commodified in endorsements and advertisements even when they are clothed from head-to-toe.
"In the ads, we see men selling motorcyles and cars while sari-clad women sell washing machines and aqua guards. Isn`t that sexist," she says.
The former censor board chief points out that "so-called offensive songs" are in the public domain and are played openly and unabashedly at weddings and other celebrations.
"Women are seen dancing to these songs. Then when the same songs are released in a film, then they become a problem... I think the same logistics should be applied both on and off screen. The women need not be the provocateur," she added.
Nowadays, songs like ‘Shiela Ki jawani’ or ‘Munni Badnam’ have become a rage.
The 68-year-old said: "The women are not volunteering to do these songs. They are an indication of the patriarchal construction. If an actress says yes to an item song, she doesn`t become unworthy of respect."
"I think we have to forget this `man can do anything and women cannot` mindset. If a woman enjoys doing a certain thing on screen, it`s her prerogative. You don`t have to go and see her. Why be judgemental about it?
"Men do a lot of vulgar dances. I recall some of Govinda`s dance movements. But they were not condemned at all. But if a woman does it, she is looked down upon. This is double standards. Why do we expect women`s morals to be on higher plane than the men?"
When it comes to wardrobe, women have to wear overcoats and protect themselves from the male gaze while men can wear whatever they like, she pointed out.
"These moral values do not resonate with today`s times. I am not exonerating sexism, or the the songs of Yo Yo Honey Singh. All I am saying is, we need to revisit these values applied to men and women and not just pass on judgement an adhoc basis.
"For example, Jonathan Kaplan`s `The Accused` had an explicit rape scene. But the film was not sexist. If a woman is enjoying herself and her space on screen, there is nothing wrong with it.
"There`s nothing fundamentally wrong with being an object of desire. You don`t have to live up to certain moral standards to get your right to security. To say prostitutes are not worthy of respect and can be raped is outrageous. That mindset has to be changed. Every individual has equal right to self-projection. We must not blame media images for the way women are treated in society.
"There are deep socio-economic factors that are causing violence against women. We have to look not at the images but at society itself. Actually, sexism cannot be related to sex-related crimes," she added.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.