This letter is to all of us – the shrewd, narrow minded men and women in the society.

Pinched? Better be.

This letter is to all of us who wear the mantle of hypocrisy, who crib and complain, but quietly and haplessly continue to live in the society, like a worm crawling through the dirty, dreary mess, shamelessly unperturbed by the surrounding. Unfortunately, we are living in a time where the words ‘maa’ and ‘behen’ are uttered more as an abuse than out of sheer respect. We witness immense gender bias all around us, but choose to be mere spectators and social media commentors. Does being a pseudo idealist bring a change we want to see? Certainly not!

What makes us question a woman and her character? Should there be some references to it? Is it right to do so? I’m sure, not! But why is it that knowingly or unknowingly; intentionally or unintentionally we always pass a comment about her driving, dressing or socialising abilities? What’s funnier is that in spite of being aware and ashamed of such hypocrisy; we continue to support it.

It’s well known that movies leave a strong impact on our minds. Movies are mimetic. It makes us think, react and understand the people we live with and the world we live in. But we need to imbibe the learning and thought and make a genuine effort to bring in the change, evolve and improve our act. That is precisely one of the lessons Pink, the latest Bollywood release, strives to teach.

“Hamare desh mein ghadi ki sui ek ladki ka character decide karti hai”...

“Aajkal ladkiyan ladkon ke saath dinner aur drinks pe jaati hain, toh woh apni marzi se jaati hai. Available hone ka sign board ban ke nahi jaati”...

“Naa sirf ek shabd nahi, khud mein hee pura ek vakya hai”...

How beautifully do these dialogues point at our parochial understanding! When a film maker uses such lines in his work, it is not only to create an impact; it is also to bring about a change in the society.

The movie with its gripping tale and real life characters inject your senses with feelings of disgust, helplessness and rage. It forces one to get away from the comfort zone and reflect on the dismal condition of the society and how we are unconsciously aiding to the malice. We talk big, but do shit. Women deserve more respect and if we want we can bring the change.  Believe it or not, we all are quite aware that a woman’s character is questioned with many such irrelevant comparisons. Today, where the world is fighting for gender equality, we in India unfortunately are picking nuggets from the past and rather than questioning our integrity, we shamelessly point fingers at an honest, hardworking girl who deserves equal or more respect every day.

The only point I’m trying to emphasise here is that we take a step further to make a difference. It’s time to act, react and introspect. Movies like Pink not only echo one’s innate thoughts, but also play a catalyst in the process of changing our ecosystem and lives around. I firmly believe that we should get rid of our insular thoughts and discriminatory tone. Let there be dogma, but for the good, for the future where we see everyone with equal eyes. Let there be pride, power and prosperity always, henceforth.

(PS: This is not a promotional article for Pink. It is merely an outpour of the emotions and the thoughts after watching a cinematic excellence like Pink)