'Women drink, smoke to show they're empowered': Bombay Shaving Company CEO faces massive backlash for sexist remarks

A reel from The Razor Sharp Project, hosted by Bombay Shaving Company founder Shantanu Deshpande, sparked a firestorm online after he claimed that women smoking was more jarring than men smoking. The controversial statement drew widespread backlash, and now Deshpande is backtracking and issuing an apology. What led to this dramatic turn of events?

In a now-deleted video, Shantanu Deshpande stated that women smoking is more shocking than men because, in his view, women are seen as "precious" and their smoking disrupts a perceived balance.?

"Women have started drinking a lot or smoking a lot as a way to show that we’re empowered," he said, adding, "There is a very biological reason why women smoking is more jarring than a man smoking. It is frankly because men are disposal in our minds and women are precious so when a woman is smoking, it is affecting..putting carcinogens in the womb. I will do what a man does. Aping masculine traits that are poor."

Another snippet from the video showed Deshpande saying, "Sexual liberation of women quickly becomes equated to large number of sexual partners."

After facing widespread backlash,? Deshpande was quick to retract the video from all platforms and issued a vague 'apology' or rather, acknowledgement, on LinkedIn.?

He admitted the content was misleading and poorly received, though he stopped short of a direct apology.?Instead, he noted the lesson learned: "The learning here specifically is the bar is now extremely high," stating that they won't be releasing the full episode now.

Deshpande is no stranger to controversy.

Last month, he compared Bengaluru to Kota, criticising its work culture for being more talk and less work, and in 2022, he faced backlash for suggesting freshers work 18-hour days for five years, dismissing concerns as "random rona-dhona."

"Don't do random rona-dhona. Take it on the chin and be relentless. You will be way better for it," he had said.

How did people respond?

Deshpande's recent comments have sparked significant criticism.?

Journalist Leila Badyari Castelino took to LinkedIn to express her dismay: "To see someone with this level of influence and privilege—who many might look up to as a role model—propagate such sexist and scientifically unfounded views is frankly disturbing!"

In the comments, one user remarked, "If men were less concerned with what women are doing and more concerned with being better themselves and turning the mirror on their own habits, beliefs, biases and fears, the world would be a better place."

Another questioned, "He is also conveniently man-splaining things about women. What is this 'biological' thing here that he knows and nobody else does?"

Despite the backlash, some defended Deshpande, arguing, "Whatever he has quoted, seems right. We do not need to smoke or drink to show we are empowered. Also it's bad for health. We should become good example for men who are doing so, rather than following them in harming own health and everyone around us."

While smoking itself isn't desirable and nothing to be emulated, but the criticism of Deshpande stems from his gendered framing of the issue, which many felt was inappropriate and misleading.

What's your opinion on this??

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