Kriti Sanon’s cryptic post on revealing clothes:Mentions skirts, burqas and diapers; trolled over Raksha Bandhan ad, know actresses facing similar trolling

Following the Raksha Bandhan advertisement controversy, Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon shares a cryptic social media post about victim blaming. In the post, she shares a quote stating that sexual harassment cannot be linked to a woman’s choice of clothing, including whether she wears short clothes. Earlier, a jewellery brand pulls down Kriti’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement after it faces trolling over her outfit. Addressing the criticism, Kriti says that Indian culture comes from a woman’s heart, not her neckline. Examples of a burqa and diaper cited On the social media platform Instagram, Kriti Sanon reposted a quote by Darshan Mondkar on her Story. The post read: “‘Was it my fault?’ asked the short skirt. ‘No, it happened to me too,’ replied the burqa. The nappy lying in the corner could not even speak.” Through the post, Kriti questioned the thinking that holds women’s clothing responsible for sexual crimes. Controversy erupted over Raksha Bandhan ad featuring revealing outfit Recently, jewellery brand Jiva released a Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon. In the ad, Kriti was seen wearing an ivory Indo-Western outfit comprising a bralet-style blouse, cape and draped skirt. A section of social media users criticised the look. They said that this modern style was inappropriate for a festival associated with family and tradition. Kangana criticised Kriti’s look- Amid the social media trolling, Kangana Ranaut wrote on social media without naming Kriti, “This is a wonderful time to be a woman. Our wardrobes are filled with all kinds of clothes, and today’s woman is a global woman. From cocktail dresses to lehenga cholis, jeans to sarees, bikinis to salwar kameez, we have so many options to wear today. So why would you tie a rakhi to your brother while wearing a bikini or underwear? Where are the many styling options available to you? Ha ha, this advertisement seems to have been deliberately made bizarre.” Kriti Sanon responds: Amid criticism following Kangana’s comment, Kriti issued an official statement. She said, “Festivals are not about the clothes you wear, but about the feelings you hold for traditions and what they mean. “Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrating the bond of protection. My sister and I tie rakhi to each other. We know that we can protect each other just as much as a brother can. When will we stop telling women what they should wear? Ethnic fashion has changed over time, but even today, a woman’s respect for her culture is measured only by her clothes. Culture and traditions reside in her heart, not in her neckline.” Rahul Gandhi defended Kriti- Amid the controversy, Rahul Gandhi re-shared Kriti’s post and wrote that what a woman wears, what she does and where she goes is her own choice. Women’s clothing and lifestyle should not be policed online. Rahul used the ‘Smash the Patriarchy’ hashtag in his post. Brand removed advertisement after controversy- As the controversy over the clothing and tying a rakhi to a pet dog grew on social media, the brand issued an official statement apologising and removed the advertisement from all its social media platforms. Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have also faced trolling Senior actresses such as Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have also been trolled on social media over their clothing. In 2017, Priyanka Chopra wore a dress that came above her knees while meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Berlin. After a photo of this meeting surfaced, users trolled her, accusing her of not wearing decent clothes in front of the prime minister. Similarly, Deepika Padukone faced criticism on social media over the bold photoshoot she did for Maxim magazine and the dresses she wore at various events. ‘Dangal’ fame actresses Fatima Sana Shaikh and Disha Patani have also faced controversy over their bold outfits. During Ramadan in 2017, Fatima shared a photograph of herself wearing a monokini on a beach. Social media users trolled her, citing religious beliefs, and offered her all kinds of advice. Disha Patani, meanwhile, faced trolling on social media for wearing a revealing black gown at the 2017 Filmfare Awards. TV and Bollywood actresses such as Nia Sharma, Sonam Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu have also faced trolls over revealing outfits. TV actress Nia Sharma faced vulgar comments after sharing pictures of herself in a heavily embroidered revealing blouse and a swimsuit. However, actresses such as Sonam Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu have always spoken openly in response to questions raised about their clothing. After facing controversy over a revealing outfit at an event, Sonam Kapoor said that she was proud of her body and did not care about trolls.