Mumbai
February 1, 2018
Actress Tillotama Shome says singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi's
comment on Swara Bhasker's open letter on "Padmaavat" was ridiculous. She feels
people are free to express their opinion, but it becomes problematic when they
start taking things out of context.
Tillotama was amongst the first few
celebrities to speak up for Swara following the wrath she faced on social media
after sharing her opinion of "Padmaavat". Suchitra and director Vivek Agnihotri
were among those who raised a finger at Swara for "fake feminism" over her
comment that she felt reduced to a "vagina only" after watching "Padmaavat".
Continuing to defend Swara and the freedom of expression, Tillotama told
IANS: "I would like to say that Swara has just put herself out there and
expressed her emotions about how she felt after watching the film and I think
she is absolutely free to express that.
"What I found very strange and
difficult to understand that remarks from other people like Suchitra
Krishnamoorthi and Vivek Agnihotri who have completely twisted what she said out
of context.
"One suggested that she can't talk about feeling reduced to a
vagina... And she can't express that because she has played the role of a
prostitute. That's absolutely ridiculous. I can play a prostitute or I can play
a pious character on-screen and yet be entitled to an opinion, and certainly do
not need to be raped to understand what a vagina feels like.
"I think
whether you like what Swara has written or not is absolutely personal and you
are absolutely free to express that, but I think complicating it and taking it
out of context is very problematic."
Swara's critique of "Padmaavat" as a
movie that glorifies Sati and Jauhar, sparked a war of words between
celebrities.
Tillotama, known for films like "Monsoon Wedding", "Qissa"
and "Hindi Medium", was present on the second day of the Lakme Fashion Week
(LFW) Summer-Resort 2018 edition where she opened designer label MAKU's with a
special narration.
Commenting on her life in transit, Tillotama told
IANS: "My dada was in air force and we just moved from one gypsy to another one
and in trying to create a life of ours, we are in such rush sometimes. Home
gardens have disappeared, the dogs have disappeared, the family and the sense of
togetherness... One has to work really hard to recreate that in Mumbai where we
are literally living in matchboxes and following our crazy passions and dreams.
"I am paying the price of it."
Is she paying the price of a
celebrity?
"I don't consider myself a celebrity and have no complications
so far," she said.