Deepika Padukone row, an eye-opener to 'cleavage' politics

Bangalore, Sept 22: The Times of India's 'point of view', published today, as a reaction to Deepika's Twitter uproar on a controversial picture it had used in a report, has proved to be an eye-opener in many ways. It is pertinent from news reports and the way the entire issue is being highlighted that women are yet to go beyond the objectifying definitions. In such a situation, there is one question that keeps ringing in my mind, as a woman and as a journalist.

Why at all 'cleavage'?

Is that all that is left for us to discuss? Discussing rape, domestic violence and murders can be understood since these are crimes of the highest order. We light candles and campaign against atrocities against women, talk high about women empowerment, fighting discremination in office and at home, but have we ever realised that discussing a thing as petty as a 'cleavage' is not just derogatory for the person concerned, but also an example of 'self-subjugation'.

We, as women have created our own boundaries and we prefer being restricted to that. A woman showing a 'cleavage' is her choice, not the media's nor anyone else's for that matter. And making it a big issue means we have formed type-set definitions for a woman.

A look at TOI's reaction report today is a point in case. The newspaper self-contradicting itself when it says:

"Deepika, we accept your reel vs real argument, but what about all the times, and there have been many, when you have flaunted your body off screen - while dancing on stage, posing for magazine covers, or doing photo ops at movie promotional functions? What 'role' do you play there? So why the hypocrisy?"

"We have always campaigned against the moral police. We believe there's no shame in Deepika showing off her body, but does she now want us to first check with her as to which pictures of her - taken at public events - we can or cannot publish?"

Hypocrisy? That's Deepika's choice too

Hypocrisy, you say? Well the next Twitter reaction from Deepika would be "that's my choice". In fact the pictures that she has posted, be it selfies or for a magazine cover are her choices too.

'Cleavage' a power play

It is really unfortunate that a woman has to fight for her body and that the opposite sex has to stand by her to prove her point that is obvious.

I am not criticizing the support from the men on Twitter or for that matter women, but aren't we going too far to prove that a woman's body is her's and she has the right to do whatever be it?

What is the necessity in the first place? the more we discuss about it, the more we show that a woman's body is something 'different', something that needs attention and needs to be objectified.

Doesn't that show us in an altogether different light, which we do not want in the first place?

Enough is enough! let Deepika or for that matter any woman do whatever she wishes with her body, her appearance. Afterall, how we look does not define what we are.

OneIndia News