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29 March 2024

India's Bollywood 'aggrimbos' strip for feminism

Published
By Ajanta Paul


Veena Malik (FILE)

How does wearing a skimpy hot pant, bikini or dressing up like a soft porn star actually empower a woman?

A clutch of Bollywood starlets are assaulting the senses in India and across the world wide web by shedding their clothes in the name of freedom of art, expression and feminism.

The Sunday Times in a recent article on this new breed coined the term ‘aggrimbos’ – to captured the aggressive posturing of the, well, bimbos.

The near-pornographic portrayal of women in what is mainstream media for India is now being given feminist hues.

British journalist, writer, and columnist, Katharine Whitehorn says, "We are unable at times to identify ourselves as our own denigrating abusers, or as abusing other girls and women.”

If feminism is still alive and kicking, how does being over exposed and outrageously provocative make that happen.

These over-exposed biking feminists don't have any sense of being bamboozled or exploited.

Poonam Pandey tops the list. He drive to thrive in her celebrity status by dropping her clothes (quite literally) in a public forum is unmatched.


Poonam Pandey (FILE)

Ms Pandey with her bold antics of posting provocative videos while taking bath and bikini pictures has managed to establish herself as a celebrity who has over 150,667 followers on Twitter.

Pakistani actress and model Veena Malik, catapulted to celebrity status when she posed nude for a men's magazine. Of course Veena believes that it was done aesthetically.

Her item song for her first movie in Bollywood saw the camera concentrating on her over exposed cleavage. But then Veena Malik is a no tantrum actress who is will to do what the filmmaker asks her to do - anything for art's sake.

'Murder' fame Mallika Sherawat, defended her steamy screen scenes with neo-feminist statements - such as "In my state Haryana, women are treated like cows".


India's Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat arrives at the 83rd Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. (REUTERS)

For most of the actresses, putting on a two-piece will often say it is the “demand of the script” in simple terms it is nothing but a publicity gimmick.

Dare to question the original item girl, Rakhi Sawant about her skimpy clothes she will defend herself with an outrageous explanation saying she is not teasing any man with her sexuality. If a man gets provoked by her exposure it's not her problem.

Sherlyn Chopra the latest aggrimbo on the Bollywood block. The model-turned-actress became a popular name on Twitter when she treated her fans with her nude picture as a return gift on her birthday. This raised a few eyebrows but the unperturbed lassie did not apologise for going full naked.


Actress Sherlyn Chopra. (Pic Twitter)

She tweeted: "Let us quit being hypocrites n quit being apologetic for what v r n who v r! Hail Freedom!!!(sic)".

And then there is Aamir

Ironically for Indians, on the other end of the ‘awaress’ scale is Bollywood star Aamir Khan and his TV series, ‘Satymev Jayate’.


Bollywood actor Aamir Khan (AFP)

As the world celebrates Mother’s Day, India’s newest crusader Aamir Khan took to tackling the sensitive issue of child sexual abuse in India, as the second episode of his TV show aired this week.

Critics, social media enthusiasts, celebrities and even members of the general public have lauded the perfectionist actor’s latest effort to bring a societal change across India, with Sridevi being the latest famous face to not only appear on the show to laud one such child abuse victim, but to also lend her name to a letter to encourage the Indian parliament to pass a bill on such a heinous crime.

But questions that continue to rise in the show’s aftermath is, can Khan’s one voice be enough to move the public and governments to take action?

Bollywood’s Dia Mirza ‏raises a valid point when she tweeted earlier today: “If a different issue is going to be in focus each week on ‘Satyamev Jayate’, will we just be moved and move on? Let us not let that happen.”

Another Twitter follower of the show, Varun Jain, tweeted: “Is today’s generation born with the patience to take on the emotions ‘Satyamev Jayate’ presents?”

Blogger Karan Thaker tells Emirates 24|7, that the cause may be old, but the fight has been renewed.

“Female foeticide and now child sex abuse are not new concerns plaguing India, however, we have a new champion for the causes and that in itself is the key,” said Thaker.

Many critics are also saying that new media channels, largely social media, has immensely helped in targeting a new generation in standing up for society in India.

While Satyamev Jayate trended on Twitter even in the UAE last week at the number one spot, the show’s handle has already garnered over 21,400 followers in seven days.

That is nothing compared to Poonam Pandey’s number of followers.

But, the jury is still out. India, it’s your time to decide.

With inputs from Bindu Rai