E-Paper
Social Media Star of The Week: Tillotama Shome
For calling out an Instagram user who asked her to show nudes, and addressing the normalisation of intimacy
“Why did this message and the likes of it offend me so much? Is it because as a professional I struggle with intimacy and nudity on screen?” actor Tillotama Shome questions in her recent post she uploaded in response to a DM where a man expressed that he wanted to see her naked body, “just like Rytasha Rathore”.
Deification and ‘slutification’
“We live in a world where a nude photo can push a young person to end their life. That’s messed up! We can clear this mess by normalising nudity, sex, intimacy. Reclaiming our bodies from this sordid narrative that swings dangerously between deification and ‘slutification’ is imperative,” says Tillotama.
But how we do it is the heart of the issue. Admitting that she actually wanted to respond to the DM by saying, ‘It’s complicated’, Tillotama explains, “The admiration of nude art is marred with a regressive gaze that objectifies the body and makes us feel unsafe. On the flip side, an admiring gaze can be misunderstood as inappropriate, which is equally unfortunate. I would like to be able to express my desire for someone without being creepy. But for that a language needs to be built that can allow many iterations of what is ‘hot’, ‘sexy’ etc.”
It’s complicated
Has she struggled with nudity on screen? “I’d like to get more comfortable with my body, irrespective of the nature of the gaze,” she replies, explaining that growing up, she felt too self-conscious to even wear sleeveless tops. “I barely noticed my body, it was all about the mind.”
When she shot for Anup Singh’s Qissa, where she had to disrobe, she says, “Standing topless in front of the camera, I felt a tremendous sense of liberation (after the initial shock subsided). But it was a sensitive set, where every crew and cast member played their part with dignity.”
During the shoot of Kamasutra, the crew on set were all in their undergarments so that the actors felt comfortable. “There are many ways to show the naked body, many beautiful, inconvenient, powerful, political ways that lie between shame and shine,” says Tillotama.
Who should be the next HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The Week? Nominate using the hashtag #BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW or email htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
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From HT Brunch, June 25, 2022
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