It isn’t easy being a female actor in India, especially in the age of social media. In plain and simple words, once she becomes an actor, she is treated almost like public property. Her photographs, films, interviews, wardrobe, and the choices she makes in her personal life are all subject to harsh public audits. It is in the middle of this abhorrent moral mayhem that a Honey Rose walks in, spinning around the otherwise prosaic celebrity inaugurations.
Honey graciously sashayed in stunning body-hugging gowns, spaghetti tops, and translucent saris, with a delightful smile plastered on her face. It goes without saying that she played her cards well – an actor who has been around for more than a decade and has acted in under 35 films, now finding newer avenues to stay relevant in show business. True, she uses the same tool of objectification that filmmakers have used relentlessly to satiate the male gaze. But in a way, she also casually exposes the sexual depravity and hypocrisy of a society that is eager to eye a female body while also passing obnoxious comments.
Though not advisable, attempting to read the comment section under Honey’s photographs can provide enough proof of how morally degenerate our society has become. All is fine in their world if their favourite female actors live within the boundaries set by them. The minute these are blurred, a judging committee will be formed, often in the shape of troll videos, memes, and of course vulgar comments.
Social media is largely intolerant towards independent, ambitious, assertive women who don’t conform to the traditional roles assigned to them. Understandably, our female actors bear the brunt of this intolerance. Forget the public, even prominent reality shows featuring mimicry artists have made a mockery of Honey. If nothing else, look at the unbelievable crowd that comes to leer at her at these inauguration events, straining to take a selfie with her. Every camera, including those of the media present there, fastidiously captures her vital statistics as they know it will bring them a few million views. Honey seems to understand that she is now a brand and has strategised her presence rather well in public. She has also set a precedent of her own for other female actors to follow, do they wish to.
Looks like Anna Rajan, whose career never really took off after Angamaly Diaries, is also taking a leaf from Honey’s little black book. Though not as prolific at inaugurations, she is trying to reassign her career by unapologetically projecting a new glam image on social media, which many have been quick to lap up.
But when it comes to embracing glamour, the rules seem to be different for unmarried and married female actors, and the manual for female actors who are divorced or separated is further different. If they happen to fall under specific age brackets, then again, we are dealing with a completely different set of issues.
Actor and RJ Meera Nandan, who is unmarried and pursuing a successful career in the Middle East, is often criticised for her fashionable photo sessions on social media. Anikha Surendran and Esther Anil, who started their career as child actors, and are now in their early 20s and are given free sermons about their wardrobe choices and the importance of being a “good girl.” Similarly, a 20-something Ahaana Krishna and her sisters are tutored about traditions and family values for appearing in bikinis, though they happily shrug it aside.
Two years ago, when an 18-year-old Anaswara Rajan appeared in shorts and a spaghetti top for a photo shoot, it stirred up a hornet's nest. The social media moral police were up in arms against the young actor who was slut-shamed for her choice of clothing. The insinuation was that she was “desperate for attention.” That dressing is a form of self-expression and that it is not about dressing up to impress men is a simple theory that escapes a significant section of the male population. Thankfully, the young actor didn’t flinch and retorted to the online abuse by posting two more similar pictures with the caption — “Don’t worry about what I am doing. Worry about why you are worried about what I am doing.”
Not surprisingly, during the same timeline, when Prithviraj Sukumaran posted a shirtless picture of him working out in the gym, netizens were gushing about his “dedication” and “great abs.”
But what was heartening was to see the support Anaswara got from her female colleagues. It started a mini-revolt on social media with the hashtag #womenhavelegs. Several actors took to social media platforms to post pictures of themselves with #Legday. That they stood up for their colleague and risked getting slut-shamed and being labelled ‘feminichis’ did not only start productive conversations but also paved the way for fashion to be seen as independent self-expression.
Rima Kallingal was similarly cyberbullied for wearing a skirt at a film festival last year. The criticism was that such attire was not suitable for a venue that discussed the need for an Internal Complaints Committee in cinema to prevent sexual abuse in the workplace. Rima dismissed the trolls by saying that she had “more important things to do.” And not surprisingly, several of her colleagues posted pictures of themselves in short skirts to declare their solidarity.
Meera Jasmine is in her early 40s, a divorcee, all geared up for a second innings and she looks like a million bucks. So it is appalling that her efforts to spruce up her image and get work is seen as “desperate attempts by an over-the-hill” actor to grab eyeballs. But the same public doesn’t see it that way when a 70-something Mammootty does stylish photo shoots in fluorescent pink suits. In his case, it is all about “age in reverse gear.”
The double standard in who is ‘allowed’ to be glamorous further comes to the surface if one were to take a look at some of the most popular celebrity female influencers on YouTube — anchor Pearly Maaney, chef Lekshmi Nair, homemaker Sindhu Krishna Kumar, and dancer Sowbhagya Venkitesh to name a few. They are loved primarily for their efficient roles as wives and moms, the ‘career’ part often comes later. Pearly instantly gets extra points for bringing her child to her popular Pearly Maaney show, and for her great balancing act of flipping dosas while carrying her toddler. That she is a good presenter is often not the first thing that gets appreciated.
While Lekshmi Nair is a professor of law, chef, and traveller, she is loved for being a doting mother, wife, mother-in-law, and impressively ritualistic. Similarly, Sindhu Krishnakumar is more popular than her actor husband-and-daughter, and is adored for being a mother par excellence. Ditto for Sowbhagya who won her viewers by posting videos about her multi-tasking skills as a homemaker, mother, and dancer.
The aspect of being ‘homely’ is what seems to help women garner less abuse and more praise on social media for their choices from clothes to demeanour, an advantage that is immediately denied to anyone unmarried, divorced, or independent, like Honey Rose. When such women step out of the ‘family girl’ mould, wear glam clothes, and appear at public events because there clearly is a demand for their brand, everyone wants to watch them, but they are never treated as women who deserve dignity like anyone else.
When one looks at an actor like Honey Rose and how she has made space for herself, it is gratifying to see her trying to reclaim agency. This would have been unthinkable ten years ago for a female actor. It helps that the times have changed, at least a little, for women.
In interviews, many female actors today are more vocal about pay parity, representation on screen, clothing, bodies, and their craft. They are aware of being mocked and censured for their choices, and yet have learned to ignore the negativity.
During the promotions of Kurup, when Sobhita Dhulipala was questioned about who among her co-stars was more caring, she retorted that she doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. Similarly, Nadia Moidu at the Bheeshma Parvam press meet countered the absurd query of whether she feels jealous of her co-star Mammootty’s looks, with this banger of a reply — “Why should I? And even if female actors like us preserve our youth and beauty, we still won’t get good roles. But he will get good characters. And yes, just for that I am jealous of him.”
Then you have Parvathy Thiruvothu who brushed aside the oft-repeated query on “acting opposite Khans” as annoying during the promotion of her Hindi film Qarib Qarib Singlle, and didn’t seem in awe of sharing screen space with superstars which is usually the accepted reaction from all actors. Not only were these actors applauded for their forthrightness, but Sobhita’s reply was also celebrated as memes.
It's an interesting mix out there, almost similar to popular movie genres. The family dramas still get top billing, while female-centric themes are still niche and evolving, and mass potboilers where women are on the sidelines and objectified are still consumed.
But we get to witness women who defy traditionally assigned gender roles and also learn to thrive and set their own rules while working within the patriarchy. That is why a Honey Rose, Rima Kallingal, and Sowbhagya are able to coexist with their own struggles and challenges in this space. Just that it’s never easy being a woman actor — in the virtual or real world.
Neelima Menon has worked in the newspaper industry for more than a decade. She has covered Hindi and Malayalam cinema for The New Indian Express and has worked briefly with Silverscreen.in. She now writes exclusively about Malayalam cinema, contributing to Fullpicture.in and thenewsminute.com. She is known for her detailed and insightful features on misogyny and the lack of representation of women in Malayalam cinema.
Views expressed are the author’s own.