Was it your choice, lady? : Blog # 250

Was it your choice, lady?

              Parineeti Chopra is an immensely talented actress who has given beautiful performances in all her films so much so that not even a single critic could come down on her in any film. The films might have been bad, but not her acting. I remember watching some of her earlier interviews. She is well read, comes with a formal education (master’s degree), well-traveled and wonderfully well informed of her trade. She understands how business of movies works.

            Parineeti was not your quintessential Hindi film heroin. She was not slender thin, does not have a vampire-level-fairness and is not unusually tall. She was a normal good looking girl. The reason why I have used past tense in the sentences above is because now, she has changed. I thought given the abundance of talent, she would not have to fit in. She might not need to go through the physical metamorphosis in order to subscribe to Bollywood’s idea of looking good. But alas, she too has done just that.

      In Parineeti’s case, it might have been a demand of the profession.  We can debate about whether or not to focus on physical appearance in cinema. We can also come to an elitist conclusion of appearances not being important by pointing out some classics and art house films. The fact remains that it is a visual medium. It is the largest format of entertainment that is in our country. The revenue of films doesn’t come from the multiplexes alone. The thousands of class B and C theaters across the country is filled with an audience who demand their actors and actresses to be as good looking as possible. Let us not discuss as to whether the multiplex audience want their actors to look good or not. That will become an entirely different blog on people being consciously hypocritical. And an average Indian’s idea of looking good is to be fair, slim and tall. That might explain as to why Parineeti had to lose weight.

Now this article is not intended to debate whether she should lose weight or not. It is Parineeti’s prerogative as to what she wants to do with her body. Just like it is with each of us. What I would want to bring your attention here is to the fact that it just is not one’s choice anymore when it comes to one’s own physical appearance. The society decides it for you. Sadly, this is truer when it comes to women. Almost all women around us are forced to fit in or subscribe to what the society thinks is good looking. Parineeti’s situation goes on to prove that it doesn’t matter what strata of society one is in, how educated one is or how economically liberated one is, society is equally harsh and demanding at all levels.

Are the cosmetic ads encouraging these mindsets? Yes, they are. But they are not the cause. They are just the effect. The cause is the society’s mindset – our mindset. As long as that doesn’t change, the likes of Ms. Chopra and other beautiful women will need to try and fit in.

p.s.If it were indeed your personal decision to lose weight, I am happy for you and hats off to your disciplined, focused effort :)

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