Sherlyn Chopra’s war Against Indian Sensibilities

Ms Sherlyn Chopra, Bollywood actress who posed for ‘Play Boy” cover and that way opened a hornet’s nest in India had a candid interview with’ The Times of India’. She said on sex and romance depicted in Bollywood cinema that the Bollywood actresses are just pushing the cover and not opening it. She also expressed her desire for Vidya Balan and said that she would like to act a passionate scene with her.

 It is surprising that how coolly she handles the topic of sex defying the Indian sensibilities. A beautiful well-known celebrity talking freely her preferences in sex was unimaginable in India sometime back and if by chance it occured she would have been publicly crucified. The Times are changing and Sherlyn chopra can rest assured that nothing of the sort would take place now.

One of the main factors that brought a little tolerance is through Internet which opened a floodgate of information including sex all over the world. In India with the opening up of economy people got spending money and internet became affordable for a majority of people that made sex not such a big deal any more. There is a striking example to cite. During the film festivals all films are exhibited without cuts and there would be a mad rush to get tickets of foreign films with explicit sex which often reached the level of scuffles and injuries. Now there is no such obscene haste to see such films among the people. It is one of the contributions of internet to the Indian sensibilities.

The main complaint about the so-called Indian sensibilities is that it is a hypocrisy and double standard on the part of a majority of persons who profess it.  It has to be admitted that there is some truth in it. But the hypocrisy has  some advantages too.. The present sexual liberalism in some countries does not give a healthy attitude towards sex as it only enhances desire for it, consequently increasing crimes related to it.. The stats show that there are ten times more sex related crimes in the U.S  than occurring in India.  Also remember that U.S has only one-fourth of the population of India.  So America is paying a price for its liberalism just as it pays price for liberal use of gun. In India the hypocrisy and false pretences prevent people from venturing out  in to an all out attack on women or, in other words, people get restrained out of its bad-name and crimiminal proceedings.

Hinduism which is the main religion in India is actually very liberal in sex from time immemorial. The greatest treatise on Sex, Kama Sutra, was written by a Saint named Vatsyayana. The stone engravings of lavish sex-play in temples are another example. Explicit sexual acts can be seen engraved in stone Even on the walls of main temple (Sanctum Sanctorum) . Today, not even the most liberal person would dare agree on to do such a thing in a place of worship. It seems that the views on sex at that time were mysteriously very healthy and positive.  It appears that people living in that era could spiritually identify sex quite differently from what we now perceive and that is why erotic paintings and sculptures found place in temples.  However no man living in this era is capable of comprehending it.  The sex has now degraded and has no status outside marriage.
A society which allows such depictions on the walls of temples must be very liberal and their sublime attitude on sex are not imaginable now.

 Any way those sculptures and paintings are well preserved in all temples and the Hindus are to that extent liberal and progressive minded.

  Through centuries the Indians lost the attitude with which ancients viewed sex and the change came from two sources. India underwent both Islamic and British rule. The Islamic discipline over sexual matters influenced the society during their rule and then came British rule with their famous Victorian sexual controls. It is really sad that India could not preserve its progressive mind.

 Shirley Chopra said in her interview that she was disappointed with the men and women of India because of their double standard in sex.  While double standard and hypocrisy are indeed ugly, if eliminating them would invite more sexual offences, what is the use ?



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