Why The Outrage Over Unshaved Armpits?

Tillotama Shome unshaved armpits picture has been doing rounds on social media for all the wrong reasons. Many users called her picture "disgusting" and "dirty". Shome hit back at the trolls and said that she is not sorry for her armpits. 

The actor did not just reply to one troll, she literally responded to each and every negative comment on her picture. In the picture, Tillotama Shome was seen basking in the sun in a t-shirt with the print "unapologetic" on it. However, netizens could not keep calm and trolled her for showing the unshaved armpit.

In her caption, the actor added "I do say Sorry a lot. The worst is when I apologise in anticipation of someone's apology as if it's a Hello. I am sorry if I did something good because I could have done it better. The visceral ones, of course, slip out of your mouth in silence. The t-shirt is a reminder to use it less and mean it more."

She later added, "Oh and about body hair, yeah not sorry about it. I wear it as I like it. It's not a statement. I also wax. I also don't"

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While many including Bollywood actor Archana Puran Singh loved her for showingher real self on social media, many others bashed her for showing the "hairy armpit". One of the users wrote "Gandi ladki", and another one wrote, "Sorry but it is looking disgusting...". To which Shome wrote- "Be and let other's Be.❤️❤️ Good day to you."

Another user wrote- "yeah u can be anything u want but it’s not soothing to the eyes." The bold and brazen Shome replied her with - "I see. Won't apologize for it though;-)"

While the hairy armpit and chests of male actors are praised for being "manly, the same does not apply to woman actors. They are expected to appear waxed and clean on the screen as well as in the pictures. The societal pressure on women to follow the body standards aimed at pleasing men pushes women to maintain themselves in unrealistic ways.

Body hair which is quite natural is seen as something "dirty" and people veil the hypocrisy behind the word hygiene. When it comes to female actors, the pressure of following the conventional body standards becomes two fold. Even a glimpse of their stretch marks, pimples, body hair and everything natural is received with ruthless criticism from the masses. Tillotama Shome by hitting out at the trolls has made herself clear that she won't succumb to the pressure and will be her real self. 

Shome is an Indian film actor famed for her role in movies like A Death in the Gunj, Monsoon Wedding, Angrezi Medium. She has received many awards like the Filmfare Awards, UK Asian Film Awards for her performance in the various movie.