Called a sl*t: 69-yr-old Rajini Chandy on being trolled for 'sexy' photos
In another instance of ageism and intolerance, 69-year-old south Indian actor Rajini Chandy's 'feel good' photoshoot (wearing outfits that can best only be described as modest) has resulted in her being massively trolled for being 'too old' to be 'exposing her body'.
While she may not be a household name, actor and former Bigg Boss Malayalam contestant, Rajini Chandy is a trailblazer in her own right. In 2016, she debuted as an actor in the Malayalam-language comedy-drama, Oru Muthassi Gadha at the age of 65. And while she has been seen in two other films and Bigg Boss Malayalam since then, she is in the news for a 'feel good' photoshoot she did recently that has riled quiet a few people up, but the south Indian starlet has the best comeback for the haters. The photographs shot by 29-year-old Athira Joy have Rajini wearing ripped jeans, floral maxi dresses and a denim dress with a very modest hemline. The actor can also be seen striking poses with flowers in her hair in some photos from the shoot that was described by local media as "bold and beautiful". And while most lauded the actor for reinventing her look, quite a few were outraged. Rajini had shared various photos from the said shoot to her Instagram profile with the caption, "My new Makeover Photoshoot with Athira Joy. Hope you all will like and support."
However, it seems modest outfits like the ones Rajini is seen in in the photos were a bit too 'sexy' and provoking for several members of the social media platforms ergo the trolls. And they were so provoked by the very not-provoking shoot that they began advising her to pray at her advanced age and 'not show off her body', some others even went as far ahead as to call the 69-year-old actor a 'slut'. In an interview with the BBC, Chandy said, "I was called a slut. Someone asked me, 'Haven't you died yet?' Another suggested that I 'sit at home and read the Bible. This is your age to pray, not show off your body'. Yet another person said I was an old auto rickshaw and even if I got a new coat of paint, I'd still be old."
While this is an obvious example of ageism and intolerance, what was most upsetting for the 69-year-old was the fact that it was mostly women who were hurling abuses and mean comments at her, she said, "A lot of young men find sexiness in older women disturbing, they don't want to think of them as an object of desire. But what I found surprising was that most of the negative comments were made by women," adding that this probably stems from jealousy, "I think it's born out of jealousy - women in their 40s and 50s who don't take care of themselves cannot deal with an older woman still being able to flaunt her good looks."
In an interaction with ETimes-TV, the actor said that she didn't expect such a reaction as she had decided to do the shoot to motivate the elderly that they still can enjoy their life in the way they want. She went on, "For that, I don't know why people are making such negative comments. If you don't like the pictures, ignore it. What is the need for making such offensive comments?"
Talking about the shoot in the BBC interview, Rajini said, "In December, Athira asked me if I'd be interested in doing a photoshoot and whether I had any inhibitions wearing Western clothes. I said no, I used to wear them all the time when I was younger. I told her I even have a photograph in a swimsuit." Rajini went on to add that she hadn't worn such clothes in a long time, but was comfortable soon enough, saying, "I hadn't dressed up in such a sexy way in a long time. But once I wore them, I was okay."