New Delhi:
Actor Aishwarya Lekshmi recently hit back at the social media trolling and moral policing she faced over a glamorous outfit. She faced intense backlash for wearing a dress featuring a keyhole neckline at a diamond jewellery exhibition in May.
In a candid interview with host Ranjini Haridas, she called out the double standards of online commentators and the invasive behaviour of event paparazzi. She also questioned why the conversation around culture is limited to a woman’s cleavage.
The actor clarified that her visible discomfort at the venue did not stem from her dress itself. Instead, the photographers made her feel uncomfortable as they pointed their camera from objectionable, downward angles rather than focusing on her face.
“They were not focusing on my face. I did get uncomfortable, and when you get uncomfortable, your body language changes as well. I felt like my personal boundaries were violated,” Aishwarya Lekshmi said.
She added, “People online could catch my discomfort, but they failed to understand that I wasn’t uncomfortable in my outfit, but was made to feel that way because of the behaviour of the people at the event, as cameras were being pointed towards me from objectionable angles.”
Aishwarya added that she saw the social media comments that followed the event and recalled the specific criticisms directed at her. “People were like, ‘Why is she getting awkward? Why is she covering her neckline? Why choose a dress like that if it is so uncomfortable?’” she recalled.
Lekshmi slammed these double standards of online trolls, questioning why a woman’s clothing is constantly treated as a public trial.
“Is culture only in a woman’s cleavage or the length of her dress? It is also in the way we behave, right? There is little policing of people who make inappropriate remarks about women. But a woman should always be mindful about her cleavage and how she dresses, she said.
“Why Should My Cleavage Be Subject To Such Intense Discussion?”
While Aishwarya initially laughed at the trolling and did not take it seriously, her response shifted as the days passed and the volume of discussion grew.
“For the first 24 hours since the trolling started, I laughed about it. But as time went by, I was shaken by the number of discussions it was shaping into. Why can’t we discuss our GDP, or how many old parents are being abandoned? Why should my cleavage be subjected to such intense discussion?” she concluded.
Who is Aishwarya Lekshmi?
Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Aishwarya Lekshmi is a doctor-turned-actor who gave up her medical career to debut in the 2017 Malayalam film Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela.
She gained massive popularity after her appearance in Mayaanadhi the same year. She also starred in Varathan opposite Fahadh Faasil. Aishwarya then expanded into Tamil cinema with Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan franchise, which remains her highest-grossing release. Her filmography across both languages also includes Kaanekkaane, Ammu, Kumari, Gatta Kusthi, Hello Mummy, and Maaman with Soori.
Her latest project is a Malayalam film titled Aasha. Released on September 11, the mystery thriller stars her alongside Urvashi, Joju George and Vijayaraghavan.
