Since yesterday, my timeline on Facebook has been flooded with images and discussion about Priyanka Chopra meeting Narendra Modi. The point of discussion was the length of her dress while meeting our dear Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. While the trolls, I am sure, have all the time in the world to give lectures on the length of her dress while meeting our PM, these are the same people who turn a blind eye when a fully dressed woman is molested in front of their eyes.
We are a population of about more than 1.3 billion people, yet we have a handful of personalities who have represented India and have brought India on the world map. Priyanka Chopra and our Prime Minister being amongst the handful. 16 years ago, when a young girl of 18 years, wearing a deep neck gown, became the fifth Indian to win the Miss World crown, every single Indian rejoiced. Nobody was concerned about how she was dressed, or how high the slit of her dress was. As long as she brought home something, we were all happy.
Today the same girl works in movies and is abroad, doing her work. Trust me, the professionalism in foreign countries is much higher than in India, and yes, even our ministers and Bollywood stars have to be professional. Priyanka Chopra was in Berlin to promote her Hollywood movie and not a Bollywood movie, mind you, and she was not on a vacation.
Maybe the visit to meet our Prime Minister was unplanned and she just straight away walked in from an event or a meeting (A celebrity takes anywhere from 2-3 hours to get their hair and makeup done because it is not any ordinary makeup. Even though they have an army of stylists, their hair will still take the same amount of time to set). I feel unnecessary attention is being given to her legs. I am sure her achievements are much greater than the length of her dress.
I guess it is high time that we Indians gave more credit to her achievements and talent than her dress. Her dressing sense is just a part of her. Her achievements are what bring us on the global map. The discussion of Priyanka Chopra’s dress and the way she was sitting is a clear reflection of how much we Indians respect women. It clearly shows that it is our hobby to find faults in women and that we can never see a woman on top or as an achiever. Sometimes, I wonder, what do some Indians want? You fail to protect a fully-covered woman inside the four corners of your house and then give lectures on moral policing when someone has achieved something.
I even read a post where someone said that the actresses wear saree and dress traditionally when they go to receive Padmashree and other National Awards but do not have the courtesy to dress decently when meeting the Prime Minister. Why this difference between the Prime Minister and the President? This had to be the most hilarious post that I came across.
A few years ago, the length of Sania Mirza’s skirt was discussed more than her performance on the tennis court. I mean, people who do not know how to hold on to a tennis racket were suddenly moral policing her on the length of her skirt. Dresses are just a part of a woman’s identity, but a woman is much more than that. Clear your mind and look at a woman beyond her beauty and physical appearance.