Why Can't Neena Gupta Wear Shorts ?

Panchayat 2 actor Neena Gupta getting trolled for her choice of wearing shorts during her last year’s meeting with veteran lyricist and poet Gulzar, makes us wonder whether women still have right over their bodies. It is difficult for a woman to wear a “short dress” without facing any judgement, getting sexually objectified and getting lewd comments.

A society in which people still ask women to “cover themselves up,” so they do not get stalked or leered at, is itself a flawed and dehumanising idea. Barring the un-feminist thinking of it all, even if a woman is wearing “revealing” clothes, how does that justify harassment, misogyny and perversion? 

Neena Gupta had gone to Gulzar’s house to gift him a copy of her autobiography titled Sach Kahun Toh. Sharing a video of her interactions on Instagram, she was seen in a blue co-ord set with shorts. Trolls began commenting on her clothing in no time.

Neena Gupta Trolled For Wearing Shorts

"I would like to educate some trolls who were targeting me for wearing shorts while meeting Gulzar Sahab. We became friends when he used to pick me up every morning to play tennis. So, we were always wearing shorts when we met,” Neena Gupta replied to trolls. 

Whether she wants to wear a dress, sari or shorts, she made it clear that she must have the power to choose a thing as mere as an outfit. The societal gaze sexualises women and was first popularised in relation to the depiction of women in films as “inactive,” often overtly sexualised objects of a man’s desire. The influence of the societal gaze is not limited to how women are featured in movies.

Extending to the experience of being seen at large in real life, the male or the societal gaze seeps into a woman’s self-perception and self-esteem. This pressure to obey these patriarchal expectations discourages a woman’s empowerment and self-advocacy. Several studies on gender bias show that many men, without realising it assume that women are passive, vapid beings. It lends women a stereotypical version of womanhood - that their function is to please men and serve as objects of their desire. 

Jayne Leonard, in Medical News Today, talks about the types of sexism, their examples and their impact. The article states that one of the sexist acts is conveyed through societal dictation of how a woman must dress. Sexism can be categorised into hostile sexism and ambivalent sexism. Researchers use these terms to understand and measure the effects of societal prejudices. Operating at the institutional, interpersonal and internalised levels, according to a 2015 research, men who endorsed sexism were more physically abusive toward their partners with alcohol use - another common risk factor - giving rise to intimate partner violence.

This is suggestive of powerful drivers of abuse in relationships. People who endorse sexism, measure a woman’s worth by the kind of clothes she wears. They are more likely to believe in “rape myths” and place the blame for sexual assault on the survivor instead of the perpetrator. 

Suggested Reading: Kurta Vs Dresses: Why Must My Clothes Decide If I Am Modern Or Not?

Neena Gupta is not the only actor to have faced sexism in its hostile form. Glorifying traditionally “feminine” behaviour and demonising “unladylike” behaviour in media coverage and otherwise already existed before Neena Gupta got trolled for wearing shorts. When policies, procedures, attitudes and laws reinforce sexism, it becomes an institution which is a daily struggle to be vigilant about.

The views expressed are the author's own.