Bare It Like Kangana Ranaut

Women celebs across the world are speaking up against injustice meted out to them. Are they inspiring change in their fields and in society beyond? 

- Aditi Kane

If the West has Taylor swift, India has Kangana Ranaut. Both these feisty, fearless women have entered - and dare we say, conquered - new territory, where few women have dared to tread... the ‘male payback‘ zone. They have refused to be selfsuffering damsels and have gone all out to take the men they felt exploited by to task. With the world watching, social media in a frenzy and op-eds being doled out like French bread, we ask one question: Are these fabulously brave women blowing in winds of change and encouraging a squadron of other women to stand up against exploitation as well? We look for some answers…

THE BACKGROUND

It was a four-year battle for Taylor Swift before she finally won the lawsuit against DJ David Mueller for allegedly groping her bottom backstage. While most girls in her place would have brushed it off as one of the hazards of being a woman, Taylor’s strong language where she unabashedly spelt out exactly what had happened several times, empowered many. Laura Dunn, the founder of SurvJustice, a nonprofit that works with survivors of sexual violence, told ‘NY Times’ she was “deeply thankful” to Taylor for taking up the cause, while a 31-year-old woman rape victim in Washington, USA, who had not pursued criminal charges, said she found the singer’s response “empowering.” Meanwhile, in India, the inimitable Kangana Ranaut has been creating more than a flutter in the topmost echelons of male-dominated Bollywood. The gutsy lady’s revelations about her relationships with then married superstar Hrithik Roshan, abusive relationship with Aditya Pancholi and her condemnation of nepotism, has stunned the industry into silence, with even talk-a-thon KJo reacting with a monosyllabic ‘#ungrateful’ on twitter!

BACKLASH & SUPPORTERS