Bollywood actress Esha Gupta, who was trolled for posting topless pictures from a racy photo shoot on her Instagram account, lashed out at those who attacked her and called her dishonourable names.
Her response to her haters: “It’s my body, my choice.”
“You can wear [anything] and be trolled. You can wear a short skirt and be trolled. I am not talking about India alone, but the whole world. I don’t understand why a woman’s clothing is objectified rather than revealing the mentality of men and their vision,” said Gupta in an interview with Gulf News tabloid! over the phone.
Gupta, who will be see in a Western-style adventure Baadshaho as a femme fatale on August 31, feels that the sordid episode revealed the myopic mentality of men.
Several trolls questioned her morality calling her “cheap” and “vulgar”.
“If our dressing is provoking you, then cover your eyes. It is as simple as that. Why do women have to sacrifice everywhere? The shoot just showed me how the mentality is so regressive. Our country is being taken forward by our Prime Minister, but a few sections in the society is really regressive and that’s sad to see,” said Gupta.
Haters, take note. Posting racy pictures doesn’t make her a woman of loose moral either.
“I am not saying that women should roam around naked everywhere... If I smile at you, it doesn’t mean that I am hinting that you can touch me or talk to me or pinch me or rape me. By the end, all of it comes to the woman provoking. Some women are talking to me about Indian culture, but I think you [those women] should tell their kids about Indian culture and how it should be,” said Gupta.
The increase in sexual violence against women in India has triggered a debate about victim blaming, misogyny and sexism that exists in traditional India.
“At the end, everything comes down to women provoking you... How can you blame a three-year-old child or an 80-year-old woman for being raped, but not the mentality of men?” asked Gupta with indignation.
For the self-made star, who started out as a model, her social media account is handled by herself and not a slick PR agency or a publicist, as is the Bollywood norm.
“I have always been myself on my social media accounts. I don’t have anyone in the industry to follow a path... I don’t follow anyone and no one is my idol,” said Gupta.
But what made the trolling palatable was that she received tremendous support from her native Indian media.
“The media in India has shown me support that is unreal. The moment I posted the pictures, I have come across at least ten vlogs, blogs, newspapers and TV channels hailing it as a bold move and how we need people like me in India,” said Gupta.
Her Instagram account is awash with pictures of Gupta in glamorous outfits and striking risque poses. So does she ever feel like a misfit in Bollywood, that’s being lampooned for encouraging nepotism rather than merit?
“If I were a misfit, then I wouldn’t be here in this industry for five years without a godfather or a surname that’s acceptable. I have made it on my own steam so far. This is what I was meant to do and this is where I will be.”
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Baadshaho will release in the UAE on August 31.
Esha Gupta’s posts on Instagram gives us fitness goal. How does she keep fit?
“I work very hard for my body. I don’t eat unhealthy food I am careful about what I put in my mouth. But I don’t diet, I don’t starve myself. I just watch what I eat ... You will see me work out even in my vanity van. My workouts are intense and there’s a lot of mixed martial arts training.”
