9 Actresses Talk Feminism And They're As Confused About It As You Are!
What is Feminism? Do we have an answer today? Maybe not! Because feminism can't be defined in words and what Feminism could mean to me might not mean the same to my colleague, my family or my friend. Meaning of feminism has always been debatable and Bollywood stars have time and again attracted a lot of controversies just because their definition of 'feminism' went haywire and 'incorrect' according to standards of moral police.
Let's have a look at what our Bollywood actresses have time and again said about feminism. While some have agreed being 'feminists', a few have completely different stand on it. Have a look!
1. Sonam Kapoor: "I am the girliest girl possible but I am a complete feminist and I will not burn my bra because I want support!"
Indiatimes
¡°I think I have said I am a feminist since I have come into the industry. If you go through any of my interviews from 2007, you will see that I have always said that I am a feminist. People don¡¯t understand the meaning of feminism. Feminism is saying that we are all equal. The right to fight for what you think is right belongs to everyone. The term feminist not only applies to women but men as well because feminism is not just a female-centric term. The idea of feminism is to fight for equality for women for their rights, to say that they need equal opportunity and to make sure they come up in society in the right way. If my father is fighting for that for my sister and me, he is a feminist as well. Or I can call anybody be it male/female/transsexual or homosexual a feminist. I have been saying it for so many years I wonder why people have started writing about it only recently."
2. Vidya Balan: "I¡¯m not a feminist but these past couple of years, the ideas of me being free, liberated and independent were being questioned."
filmfare
"I remember so many people asking me if I was sure I wanted to marry when I was at the peak of my career, but I was very sure about Siddharth (Roy Kapur) and that I wanted to marry him!" Speaking about being invited to parties now as Kapur's 'plus one', she said, "Look, I¡¯m not a feminist but these past couple of years, the ideas of me being free, liberated and independent were being questioned. I had to find myself once again. So even though on screen, my films weren¡¯t clicking, I was learning everyday. I was finding my voice again. Siddharth has actually been the one to help me find my voice again. This past year has been a beautiful year of not reclaiming but reinforcing the self. It has been about recommitting to myself again."
3. Priyanka Chopra: "For centuries, women have always been told to be a certain way or behave a certain way, and it's time women decide what they want themselves individually."
Jezebel
"In India, [feminism] has empowered me and this is a very, very important cause to me, so I'm very passionate about it. Excuse my enthusiasm. But I feel that women need to have a voice. That's the basic right of the women, and that's global. When a woman says something, she shouldn't be judged or silenced because she's a woman. The first step to empowerment and feminism is freedom for a woman to be able to be who she wants to be without being judged or objectified. For centuries, women have always been told to be a certain way or behave a certain way, and it's time women decide what they want themselves individually."
4. Katrina Kaif: "People say I am not open, but is being open only talking about your relationships? I don¡¯t think I am feminist but I don¡¯t think an actress should be made to speak about the men in her life when there is so much more to her and what she has achieved. We need to respect that."
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5. Parineeti Chopra: "I am very often confused to be a feminist but I am not. I am really not. Coming into Bollywood, I think definitely it has made me stronger and more responsible."
Filmfare
"I do feel proud of my gender, of being a woman. I do speak against gender inequality. I am the brand ambassador for Haryana¡¯s ¡®Beti Bachao Beti Padao¡¯ campaign. And I think it is very important for me personally to strive for equality, especially the industry that I come from,"
6. Kalki Koechlin: "I think a feminist is somebody who believes in women being humans."
"Its really about trying to be true to yourself, to be honest and that is easier said than done.This term ¡®feminism¡¯ has been bastardised to the point where the average girl doesn¡¯t want to be associated with it. But it¡¯s not what feminism stands for that¡¯s the problem-it¡¯s the damn stigma that¡¯s synonymous with it."
7. Gul Panag: "I am very happy to enjoy the benefits of chivalry. Does that make me any less of a feminist?"
"The pendulum has been on one side for so long that it naturally creaks when attempted to be taken to the other side. I¡¯m not a feminist bra burner at all. But I believe in the eyes of the law, I jolly well have equality and I¡¯m going to fight tooth and nail for it. But am I going to fight for crazy things like women in combat? I don¡¯t support it, because I¡¯m aware of the physiological differences between men and women. Why are the women¡¯s 100m world record and the men¡¯s 100m world record not the same?"
8. Shabana Azmi: "Idea of masculinity needs to change!"
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I would definitely call myself a feminist. I think that Indian cinema can play an important role in removing patriarchy from our society and help in strengthening women. In older times, the society did not accept the rejection of males by females, but now it is a worldwide issue."
9. Dia Mirza: "I don't believe in bra-burning feminism. That's an extreme path and I feel such 'fights' are often misinterpreting the strength that a woman has."
"The power of a woman is not about undermining the opposite gender. It is about acknowleding one's strength and helping other women to identify that too. The best part of being in the industry is being able to celebrate my independence. I like being assertive without taking a radical path. Even in my production house, I am working with two men where we try to complement each other without outdoing anyone. While being respectful, I believe in quiet firmness. My greatest strength as a woman lies in being able to help others."
