Calling Out Societal Hypocrisy Over Déshabillé

More than a month away from its release date, there are already demands to boycott ‘Pathaan’ — a movie starring Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan. One of the reasons being offered for this is that it insults a particular religion by making the leading lady — Deepike Padukone — gyrate to a song titled ‘Besharam Rang’ wearing, among other outfits, a saffron-coloured bikini ensemble.

Groups of protestors demonstrated against the film’s release on Friday, December 16, in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, three main cities of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is currently in power.

This follows similar consternation about the sartorial choices of television actor Uorfi Javed, who is well known for her ‘revealing’ clothes. Everyone from a bestselling author to purveyors of morality have castigated Javed for making them feel uncomfortable about clothes that she wears.

At the risk of sounding impertinent, this never-ending brouhaha makes me wonder why it is when public figures choose not to cover themselves in a socially-acceptable way that so many feathers are ruffled. Ranveer Singh’s nude photoshoot for a magazine in August 2022 created a huge stir online, with meme makers having a field day and social media users enjoying examples of some razor sharp wit.

There are precedents to this. Way back in 1974, model and dancer Protima Bedi had streaked nude on Mumbai’s Juhu beach and expectedly made it to the headlines, almost all of them turning a personal decision into a salacious public opinion-fest. In the 2014 movie ‘PK’, Aamir Khan used only a large record-player to cover himself but that did not ruffle many feathers.

So, what is it that makes covering up of the human body (or not) such an incendiary issue? After all, humans, like animals of other species, are born naked, with no concept of ‘modesty’ and ‘vulgarity’ incumbent upon their choice (or not) of clothes. The association of clothes with morality and the cut and colour of clothes having political underpinnings is rooted in the concept of ‘sin’, that goes back a long way.

While ancient Indian traditions differ in their reception of individual sartorial choices, it is the pre-dominantly Western concept of ‘modesty’ and ‘virtue’ that places much premium on covering up and links ‘temptation’ and ‘sin’ with how much of one’s body is left uncovered.

Be it statues of buxom women in the temples of Khajuraho or the elaborate ‘shringar’ rituals shown in the sculpture of the Buddhist retreat of Sanchi, our ancestors seem to have had no issues with women donning so-called ‘revealing’ clothes. Later in history, with the inroads made by invaders and the influence of colonial morality, where even the legs of wooden tables were ‘covered up’ to avoid ‘sinful’ thoughts while dining, a blanket appears to have been thrown over the discomfiture caused by choices related to matters of clothing.

In some religious traditions in India (such as that of male Digambar {‘sky-clad’/naked} Jain ascetics and Naga sadhus), nudity is hardly frowned upon; it is actively promoted and even revered. The problem arises when there are women involved. Even in the most progressive sects or affiliations, I am hard-pressed to believe that women will ever be allowed the choice to renounce clothing.

The above mentioned controversy over ‘Pathaan’ therefore seems focused on a woman and her ‘look’. In the same song video, actor Khan can also be seen fully uncovered above the waist. Strangely, no one is questioning his decision to go ‘topless’.

Although this debate is complex and multi-layered, the broad takeaway is that society seems to have double standards around male and female déshabillé. While men seem to enjoy immunity from criticism (at the least) and censure (at most), societal reactions range from uproar to hullabaloo for the same ‘offence’ — nudity or being scantily-clothed — where women are concerned. Add in hurt religious sentiments and there occurs a furore of epic proportions.

It will help to have the same yardstick and reaction to make and female nudity or aspirations towards it. However, I know, as well as the neighbourhood morality defender, that it is a long way coming, and can even be termed a pipe dream.