Bollywood celebs in present times have their guard on with publicists managing their choice of words and even go to the extent of dictating question that the media should be asking. The same lot who are considered as icons now, were once very preposterous when it came to being politically correct in candid interviews. The person in question here is none other than megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
For those who have taken a sabbatical from social media, it has become a sort of compulsion on account of Bollywood to react on issues that collectively affect the nation. While some refrain from expressing and partake in the bandwagon, many are quite vocal and urge for strict actions (of course for the fact that they have better influence).
Recently Jaya Bachchan, who is a Samajwadi Party MP, was speaking in the Rajya Sabha in the wake of the gang-rape and murder of a veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad on November 27, and her burnt body being recovered the next day. She said that lynching was perhaps the only way to put an end to ghastly crimes against women.
Contrary to what Mrs Bachchan said on a public platform, her husband had a different view perhaps to a similar context. A magazine called ‘Movie’ quotes Amitabh saying, “When rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it!”
The picture that is available of Reddit, had many users condemn the actor, while some added that the audience was conservative others said the media must have twisted his statement.
One Reddit user wrote, "We're talking about the 70s here. People were more rural, conservative, these topics weren't really discussed etc. Also, imo a lot of the wokeness/outrage culture rn in India is taken from the Americans. For better or for worse."
Another commented, "Thank God some 70s stars didn't have twitter outrage. They seem to have made many outrageous statements and the many affairs and dramas notwithstanding."
While we might live in way more politically correct times, at least we no longer have mainstream stars bandying the word ‘rape’ around, and are more sensitised to create a more gender equal society.,
