Singer Sona Mohapatra Slams Vidya Balan For Her Insensitive Sexual Abuse Comments
Right from the inception of social media has come into power, people use it as a strong medium or tool to voice their opinions. Not only common people, even celebrities are active on few micro-blogging sites. While some choose these platforms only to stick to promoting their films and posting their photos, others take it a serious place to express their views.
One among them is Bollywood singer Sona Mohapatra. She is shamelessly honest about her tweets. Her social media account especially comes into the spotlight because she speaks against her industry colleagues also with utmost ease. From Sonakshi Sinha being slammed to Kangana Ranaut being criticized in the Hrithik-Kangana controversy, she has a lot to say.
This time, Sona attacked Bollywood actress Vidya Balan for speaking on sexual abuse. Recently at the Penguin Fever 2017, actor Vidya Balan launched noted author and columnist Shobhaa De’s book – ‘Seventy And To Hell With It’. Speaking at the book launch, they touched upon patriotism, casting couch in Bollywood and why they think actors shy away from speaking out about it.
Vidya Balan has played powerful roles in several films, went on a TV panel discussion, a short clip of which was shared by the channel on Saturday, and discussed the issue of sexual harassment. However, this is what she said in the clip that was shared.
“I’ve been in films for 12 years and not once have I been propositioned y anyone. I’ve not given anyone I think the space to say anything remotely uncomfortable to me. There were times, I would sense that something creepy and I would just walk away from that opportunity. Having said that this was not my bread and butter, I lived with my family in Mumbai, I had food on my plate, I didn’t have to worry about rent, I had emotional sustenance. I could walk away. I think no one dared say or do anything to me, I made sure I didn’t come across as vulnerable.”
It’s classic victim shaming to imply that a woman brought on her harassment because she did not “walk away”. Or that she somehow “made herself vulnerable”.
Case studies and statistics show that women of all ages babies as young as months old are raped every day in this country. To say that Balan herself had not faced any sexual harassment in 12 years because she did not “give anyone the space to say anything uncomfortable” is to imply that those who do get “propositioned” invite it by giving their harassers the “space”.
Watch The Video Here:
.@vidya_balan on sexual harassment in Bollywood
Watch @DeShobhaa and @vidya_balan at 9.30pm on Sunday on https://t.co/QV4m2vmiIZ pic.twitter.com/c0gR6N0Ojr
— NDTV (@ndtv) October 28, 2017
It’s not only wrong, but it’s an attitude that has seeped into the very fabric of society, coloring the way it looked at women who are sexually active, lead independent lives and fight sexism at all levels. And it’s surprising that Balan phrased it the way she did since she has been a strong champion of gender rights, standing up repeatedly for women, including those she worked with.
However, this did not go down well with Sona who took to Twitter to write this. Her tweet read, “According to what Vidya is telling us here, U get abused/raped ONLY when U are weak, un-fed, bad at your job or even better ‘desperate’?”
According to what Vidya is telling us here, U get abused/raped ONLY when U are weak, un-fed, bad at ur job or even better ‘desperate’? #fail https://t.co/6J9LaqcfZy
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 28, 2017
She also ranted against Akshay Kumar who jokingly said, “Tum bell bajao, main tumhe bajata hoon” to Mallika Dua. Sona tweeted saying, “Of ‘casual sexism’ of the Superstar kind & some not ‘so casual’ & how we are ‘trained’ to take such in our stride.”
Of ‘casual sexism’ of the Superstar kind & some not ‘so casual’ & how we are ‘trained’ to take such in our stride. https://t.co/knA8YPUdAm
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 27, 2017
Now, what do you say about Sona Mohapatra’s furious statements against Vidya Balan? Share your views with us in the comments section below.