The BAD Women of India

With the passage of time, Indian women have come to face many shifts in role. The impact of globalization and westernization, together with the access to education and economic independence has made some of them believe that if they want, they can very well break free from the societal pressures to recast or reshape their identity in the way they exactly wish to. Their mind is so long colonized by the Do’s and Don’ts the patriarchal Indian society imposes upon women, but with the several modern influences coming in some women could emancipate their mind and sum up the spirit & courage to defy the so called laws of the society. 

Not all Indian women however can do that, because it is not easy to wage a war against the age-old traditional norms of patriarchy. And those who do, manage to incur a lot of controversy and stir up many stories that stamped them as the ‘Bad women of India’. Do they really deserve that title?

Top 3 Controversial women of India

While there are quite a few women who managed to brew a storm in a teacup, here is a look at the 3 who got a little ‘extra’ attention.

1. Reema Sen: 

Actress Reema Sen got involved in a serious controversy because of a leaked video that shows a lesbian kiss she shares with a friend. Homosexuality is something our society is not ready to accept till date. This is why; you don’t find many gays and lesbians coming out of the closet in India. It’s high time that society should change its attitude towards the lesbians and gays.

2. Rakhi Sawant: 

This is another controversy queen of the tinsel town. The Bollywood world is often taken aback by her tangy, shocking and sensational statements which she blurts out in a motor-mouth manner regarding, be it her colleagues or others in the Bollywood world and even outside it. Not only do her films and the kind of roles she plays make her controversial, but even her real-life stints and scandals do. But Rakhi Sawant forever is bold, fearless and never cares about anyone while speaking her mind out.

3. Shobhaa De: 

Criticisms from the so called puritans and fundamentalists of our society were lashed out at writer Shobhaa De, who in no way is a stranger to controversies. There was always a strong erotic streak in every character she developed and an erotic flavour in every literature she produced. At one point of time it was believed that Shobhaa De was, sort of obsessed with sex and thus she was often also known as ‘princess of porn’ in the world of literature. Though her themes always called for controversies, she stood by her ideas because ‘sex’ is a relevant subject-matter in man’s life and there’s no reason for puritans to make it a hush-hush affair.

Do we really have the right to judge?

None of the above listed women who have been labelled as the ‘Bad women’ have actually done anything that is morally or ethically wronging the society. They have just shown enough courage to follow their heart and do something that they believe is right. Do we really have the right to judge them? Our age-old patriarchy and orthodoxies cannot stand women who dare to be different, and that’s the reason these women come in the limelight. It is time the society stops bad-mouthing these women and allow them to be themselves!