Why Such Hypocrisy, India?

Why Such Hypocrisy, India?

May 5^th 2015. Sunny Leone has been voted as the Most Desirable Woman in India in 2014 by an online poll organized by the Times of India. The link is here: http://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Sunny-Leone-tops-Times-Most-Desirable-Woman-2014-list/articleshow/47149314.cms

The piece of information was thought-provoking. Not because how she, of all people, had been bestowed with this honor, but because of our own double standards.

Back in 2011 – 2012, ever since she tried to make a mark in the field of Bollywood leaving her past behind through the popular reality show Bigg Boss Season 5, she was singled out and cornered. A complaint was lodged by the BJP MP Anurag Thakur and the Indian Artiste and Actors Forum (IAAF) to the then I&B Union Minister Ambika Soni, against the channel as it was indirectly selling adult entertainment (read pornography) on a show which was meant for the family audience! This is the same reality show where other participants can enquire about sex lives of others, make a mockery of their personal lives, dish out mouthfuls to each other or even get into an ugly spat (verbal or even sometimes physical) between themselves and the same ‘family audience’ keep on watching the show with no harm caused. But how could she be given an entry to the show and do a poll dance on screen? She was a bloody porn star (though some of the participants even claimed that they were not familiar with her past profession)!!

Despite her past and so much flak that she received, she was cast for a Bollywood movie (Jism 2) under a very renowned production house! The movie too, was dragged into unnecessary controversies for more or less similar reasons. A porn star is surely not eligible enough to act in a Bollywood movie. So her effigies were burnt and a PIL was filed in Allahabad High Court to seek stay order on the film. Protests were carried out because of the vulgar portrayal of women in the film. Protests were carried out in a country where many other erotic flicks go openly unnoticed (all other actresses were just acting you know!). Protests were carried out in the same country where women are frequently molested, violated, raped, trafficked or murdered.

Some of her obsessed fans release a picture of her on internet of a party. Everyone in the country go gaga over her profession and past life. We forget that rave parties do happen in our country, sometimes perhaps in our own backyard and we don’t feel the necessity to raise even our faintest voice against them. Why waste energy on such trivial matters?

It was reported that her twitter account saw an overwhelming surge of thousands of new followers in no time. Yet every time she tweets, obscene comments flood her account. Why follow her if you would only wish to post lewd comments? Does it really degrade her or does it expose your own inherent filth?

Nonetheless, she has managed to come a long way. Her name was always taken in a hushed tone, but now she has become the talk of the town. She has so far stood tall against all the hatred, criticism, negativity and embarrassments. She kept on earning laurels and her fan following has been growing stronger. Her item numbers and film clips over Youtube receive maximum no if views online in just a matter of a few days. Her Bollywood career also has really taken off. She had bagged several projects in Bollywood – be it brand endorsements or movies – and has been working on many more upcoming projects. Nowadays she is being cast for the lead roles in movies. We can call her any names, we can curse her as much as possible, we can despise her but we would certainly not withdraw from using her as a means getting more quick footage and spotlight.

She has constantly been the most searched Indian celebrity in Google, leaving her contemporary actresses far behind. And she has now been voted as the most desirable woman in 2014, with no one perhaps even came close. Come on India, of all people, Sunny Leone? Really? Is she not the same person she used to be? How can we desire someone if we detest her so much? How much superficial can we be?

We are still ashamed of someone who used to be in the adult film industry, but pornography is widely available for anyone who wants access to it. Sex education in schools is still considered a taboo and yet we are a population of 1.27 billion and growing every day.

As some wise guy said: “We can piss in the open, but a kiss is still forbidden!”

If this is not hypocrisy, what else is?

I think perhaps it is time for us to move on. She never denied her past. Neither did she ask for our vilified judgments. If she can close the chapter of her being in the adult industry, we can surely think beyond her past, focus on the present and make way for the future.

She made a comment in one of the interviews about her journey so far, which I really liked and feel relevant to this article. I would sign-off today with those comments.

“I know there are plenty of male actors who are scared of being on the same screen as me because they are more ‘Disney’ than me. I know there are production houses who are sitting back and watching my next move to test my seriousness for my work. People might be skeptical. There are wives who don’t want their husbands to be working with me. Women, I don’t want your husbands, I have my own.”

“I can’t change people’s perceptions, unless they actually want to give me a chance. Being an adult actor was one chapter of my life and that chapter is closed. So I am not trying to shed any image. I can’t do both properly. So I have closed that chapter so that I can totally focus on Bollywood.”

“I am an open book to most people. You ask me a question; you get a straight answer from me. I neither have anything to hide nor do I want to put myself in such a position. Whatever I have done in my life, I did with my own conviction and my own decision.  No one was forcing me. Nor did I feel forced! And anyways, no matter if they like me or hate me, they are still Googling me!”