#MyChoice

Declaimer - I am going to get blasted with comments for this write up - STILL

Vogue, a magazine which was established for the New York Aristocracy, a magazine which has penetrated into the Indian market targeting the elite population has come up with #MyChoice – a short film to empower women. 

So yes I know and so it is for all of you out there – this video is pretty controversial and has so many ‘choices’ which could not be accepted by the Indian population. I am being generic in using the term ‘population’ – No I am not telling only men. It is the way of thinking and cannot be gender specific.

The video has well groomed neat looking women who look beautiful – I know you have a problem with that – I agree that ‘REAL’ women are not like this. But why can’t you agree that ‘REAL’ women can also be like this? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Maybe Homi Adajania wants us to view every women in our life like how they look in this video with our eyes – because deep within every soul (men & women) is amazing. Give some credit to those 99 women who are part of the video. Maybe they are just models or maybe they are not. You and me – we do not have any clue on what they have been through in their life and what made them say what they did in the video.

I know there are many things in the video which is/can be widely accepted by everyone – My body My Mind My Choice

Wear the cloths I like to – I love wearing jean or sari – I don’t prefer salwars it is my choice & I am sure you will agree to that.

To be size 0 or size 15 – I am sure you are not going to tell me I should diet or eat my heart out to fit into a particular dress. Please I really hope not.

To marry or Not to marry – We have Lata Mageshkar, Mother Teresa, Saina Neywal, Suda Moorthy, you & me. Some are married, some or not and some may be in the near future and some may never will. I am sure you all have great respect to all these women & don’t judge them based on their choice of relationship.

To have sex before marriage – I agree talking about ‘SEX’ is a taboo in our country, I agree you are not OK with this particular statement but can you think it this way? Sex is a person’s private life what is to happen within 4 walls and it truly depends on the people involved in it. IF a woman is OK with having sex before her marriage then isn't that the choice she willingly makes with her body & her life? And the person who is going to judge her & accept/reject her is his choice. Why we are even bothered about that? Deepika (I hate her BTW) says it is her choice. Why can’t we accept the fact?

To have sex after marriage – No problem there I guess.

To have sex outside marriage – Don’t we live in a country/state where our Ex-CM has a ‘Manaivi’ and a ‘Thunaivi’ and aren't we are OK with it? To that ‘Thunaivi’ isn't it sex outside marriage? Do we judge them? Don’t we respect them for their age & their boldness and accept them? And yeah what about our ‘Aandavar’? Isn't it ‘sex outside marriage’ for his partner? Still aren't we calling him the ‘God’? So does that mean we will praise & judge women on what she does ONLY based on the man she is with? In that case what the video is for is actually justified? sex outside marriage is NOT cheating. If that is what you understood it as then it is your mindset or your English that has the problem NOT the video. I just remember a person called 'Periyar' here and comedian Vivek's statement - 'Ungala ellam 1000 periyar vanthaalum thirutha mudiyathu'.

To not have sex at all – This I am sure you don’t have any issues with. It is the husband’s headache IF that woman is married.

To have a kid or Not – I truly believe it is the couple's choice. To the country & to the people who keep asking right from the 3rd month after marriage - 'Any good news?' you have no clue what the woman is going through at her household - she may have issues/he may have issues/they may have issues medically or emotionally. We don't have to know we don't have to ask. Yes it is a choice.

She says she may not wear the bindi, the bangles but will love truly with all heart that person she trusts. Is that so wrong? Should Men/women publicize to the entire world their relationship status? Why talk about it unless & until it is required? I remember those 'She: I am committed' jokes here. You joke about those who share their relationship status in public but can't take it when a number of women say in a video that they don't want to publicize it with ornaments.

I can go on with each statement made in the video & I truly feel that though I can NEVER accept with certain things it says, I WILL also NOT be the man/ woman who judge another woman based on what her choices are & how she has decided to live her private life. A woman’s/man’s private/sex choices & orientations are NOT going to affect me or change what the person means to me.

I personally feel that it is HER/HIS choice and my I will NOT judge people/humans based on their choice of their private life. The video is to make people understand that ‘TO JUDGE’ women based on their private choices & looks is not fair. But the end outcome is that that is what is being done to the video in itself. There is difference between what I/WE think of others and what I/WE think of ME/OURselves. The video says 'My Mind My Body My Choice'. So yes you have 100% right to talk about YOUR life & not others.

There is difference between ‘will YOU/I do?’ what the video says and just let people do what they feel like doing. So It is their life – their choice and in the end they will face the consequences if there are any. Let them fight their battle please don’t make it more complicated for them.