Kriti Kharbanda: Objectifying women not wrong, if captured aesthetically

Actress Kriti Kharbanda, whose Hindi film Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana recently hit the big screen, believes there is nothing wrong in objectifying a woman's beauty, as long as it is done aesthetically.

Kharbanda is a popular actress in the south Indian film industry. Earlier, actress Taapsee Paannu had mentioned a filmmaker's obsession with showing a woman's mid-riff, and Kharbanda too cited how he does it in an "aesthetic manner".

At a time when body shaming has become rampant, Kharbanda says it stems from people's narrow-minded perspective towards women.

Often, women have been projected as eye candy and their mid-riffs are objectified. Asked about it, Kharbanda told IANS: "Well, let's make it clear, women are sexier than men. They are a prettier gender than their male counterparts. And then, if a woman is comfortable showing her mid-riff on-screen, what is the other's problem? Why does she face body shaming? Does a man face the same while going shirtless?"

"I think objectifying women is not wrong if only her beauty is captured in an aesthetic manner."

She stressed: "Like the way beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, dirt also lies in the eyes of the beholder. They should change their perspective."

Citing an example, Kharbanda said: "In the south, there is a celebrated Telugu film director name Raghavendra Rao, who is known for shooting women's mid-riff in a certain manner. They are done in a very aesthetic manner and don't look vulgar. Now, it is up to the audience how they are going to watch it. As long as the girl is comfortable acting in it, I see nothing wrong."

Isn't it true that in a sexual harassment case, it is the woman who is questioned about her clothes and lifestyle?

Kharbanda said: "Why do women have to face comments like ‘You are wearing short clothes, you are alluring and inviting men?'. In the daylight, if a girl covered from head to toe gets groped at a bus stop, who is to blame? Is she inviting someone? Like the way a woman covered from head to toe is not inviting someone, a woman flaunting her cleavage, is also not inviting anyone. She wears it because she owns and loves her body. No one has the right to look at her in a dirty way."

Kharbanda made her Hind film debut with Guest Iin London earlier this year. She has been working in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil films for eight years.