Freedom Of Choice

A lot of hue and cry has been going on for a while ever since the release of Vogue Empowerment’s “My Choice” directed by Homi Adajania, starring Deepika Padukone. Apparently a lot of people are not comfortable with “Deepika’s choices”. Without delving in deeper into the message conveyed by the video, people have been critiquing it in every possible platform they can, doing exactly what the video asks them not to.

What you wear is your choice, what I wear is mine, what Deepika wears is her choice to make and nobody has the right to dump their choices on others. What I do with my life is up to me; it’s my choice – a sane informed decision I make by using my logical reasoning and common senses. If you do not agree with me, you do not have to follow me! You do not have to follow anyone; make your own rules. What I do with my body, how I perceive my life, is up to me. I get to decide if I want to maintain my curves or work out to get a toned body. It’s my choice whether I want to get married or not. I get to decide who I am going to have sex with, not the society. I am not a piece of furniture or anybody’s pet dog that can be named and personalized according to my owner’s wishes. I am free to live my life the way I want. If you love me, then have faith in my loyalty towards you, because if you were not my choice, I wouldn’t be with you in the first place.

“To have sex out of marriage” seems to be the transcript causing the greatest disturbance. I don’t think Deepika endorses or supports adultery, most people don’t. It’s just an available option in a multiple choice question that most faithful people will choose not to choose. Every day when I step out of home, I have the option to dress or remain naked; obviously I choose to dress because belonging to a civilized world I can’t imagine otherwise. My choices should satisfy me before satisfying others. Even today there are hundreds of women who dress according to the regulations of their families, thousands who marry only because their families want them to get married, give birth because society expects them to do so. Given an alternative, most women will still choose to dress the same way, marry the same person and bear a child, but then at least the choice will be hers. The power to choose is a person’s birth right. Taking her own decisions and extricating herself from the shackles of society is all that this video is about.

I agree that this video could have been better implemented, unless of course its aim was to start a discussion by creating controversy. Taking it literally and just considering its outward appearance without thinking twice about its true meaning only reflects the shallow nature of the “critics” who seemed to have taken the internet by storm. Let me take the decisions that will shape my life, at least I’ll be responsible for it.

For those who still haven't watched the video, click here