Actress Shiny Dixit, who has been part of shows like Ram Pyaare Sirf Humaare and Tera Kya Hoga Alia, had recently said that she wouldn’t mind doing a bold scene if the script demands it, and if it’s aesthetically shot.
She also expressed that though foreign web shows and Hollywood movies with extremely bold content find acceptance in our country, still at least a section of the Indian audience might not be able to accept a homemade show with similar scenes. In fact, they are often referred to as 'C' grade movies. ALSO READ: Gandii Baat 2 Actress Anveshi Jain Says ‘When Women Speak Openly About Their Sexuality, They’re Deemed Easily Available’
Shiny spoke to us on the same and elaborated why she feels this way. “Yes, it is because of our mindset and the vast cultural difference between the East and the West. We have accepted Western culture to a great extent, but not totally. So, while we are okay with a Western movie with bold content, when our films showcase such sequences, most people have certain inhibitions. Also, sometimes, these scenes are not aesthetically shot in our shows and movies. In the West, sex and sexuality are not taboo subjects. But, though India is the land of the Kamasutra, these have become taboo subjects for us. Hence, we tend to label these movies and shows as C-Grade.” ALSO READ: Shamin Mannan's Ram Pyaare Sirf Humaare To Replace Eisha Singh's Ishq Subhan Allah- EXCLUSIVE
It’s the same reason, Shiny adds on, why actors, too, are more willing to go bold in foreign movies and not desi ones. “We are, in our own ways, trying to conform to the norms of the society. Most of us don’t listen to our inner voice and are scared to push the envelope. There is a lot of confusion because of the cultural difference between the East and the West. We don’t know what to accept and what to reject.”
Interestingly, the conflict is not just between the East and the West. While bold content works to a great extent in the web space, the same cannot be said about movies. “Like I said, concept is king. If the concept is good and scenes have been shot aesthetically, everything will work. Having said that, sometimes, as an artist, you might feel that something has been done aesthetically, but there might be people who will still raise an objection. So, it works both ways. How we showcase something, and how viewers perceive it,” she says, stressing on the role of the audience.
Another problem is, artistes — especially female — who dare to go bold are often subjected to character assassination and even s**t-shamed. Shiny says, “It’s easy to tarnish a woman’s character and call her names, but who says that prostitutes are not worthy of respect? These are women, who have faced unimaginable cruelty. They are victims of circumstances, and as a society, it’s our duty to rescue them and help them begin a new life. But, instead, we further alienate them.”
Image Source: Instagram/shinydixit05