‘My choice’- The documentary on women empowerment by Deepika Padukone

A few months ago, Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone was featured in a video called ‘My Choice’. It seemed to be made for the empowerment of women but it went much deeper. The dialogues that were delivered by Deepika were supported by the acts of the other ninety-nine women featured in it. These were the ordinary women, some middle class and some upper middle class like any of us. However, I personally do not agree with the entire video. Because eventually, Homi Adjania, the director forgot that when we talk about the empowerment of women, it is not only about the women in urban places, but also the poor women of rural India.

I disagree with the documentary on two platforms: factual and emotional.

From the factual point of view, there was some serious misunderstanding about the topic itself. Deepika said that it was her choice to have sex before marriage, after marriage or not to have sex at all. This is entirely a woman’s choice about her decision on this issue but the idea depicted in the video was misleading. If we accuse men of adultery when they have an extra-marital affair, then women cannot claim the right to have sex outside a marriage just to look for vengeance. A wrong is a wrong, whoever does it.

Again from the emotional viewpoint, I would say that videos like these do give a sense of empowerment to women but sometimes they lead astray the most unaware women. When women in rural India watch videos like these, they tend to seek freedom immediately. I am not saying that they ask for something unjust. But before all these social changes happen, men of our society have to be taught a lot of things. Say, we grant rural women the freedom to wear whatever they want, but it won’t take long for our society to become a mess, given the present circumstances.

Recently, a documentary was issued in public interest by the government of India, featuring another Bollywood actor, Madhuri Dikshit, giving a very sensible message to the male folk “It’s not that men don’t cry, it’s that men don’t MAKE women cry”. Many wrongdoings are fed to the boys by the parents themselves in their childhood, but we as a society have to grow before we allow our women to come out of their homes in short skirts or opt for any career they want, in all parts of the country. Men have to be taught a sense of morality and chivalry than to expect women to restrict themselves.

Since the wave of empowerment has already begun, it is now come here to stay. Therefore, it is better for men to gear up themselves to change their foundational thought process as soon as possible. Else, the 21st-century women are up in arms to take what they deserve.