We’ve seen desi soaps stretch the limits of logic before, right? A woman fainted, fell into a suitcase, and was thrown into the swimming pool in ‘Ishq Mein Marjawan 2’. Now, a new show named ‘Namak Issk Ka’ that started airing on Indian television yesterday starring actors Monalisa, Aditya Ojha, and Shruti Sharma has been facing flak online for showing dancers in a negative light.
Some of the promotional material for the serial reads, “Aa rahi hain Chamcham Rani, puchne aap sab se yeh sawaal, kya ek nachaniya bann payegi ghar ki bahu?”
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ATS Additional SP Rahul Srivastav shared the poster saying, “Dance as a gracious art form needs to be celebrated rather than de”moralized” This is plain ‘REGRESSIVE’”
A flippant advert of a TV serial, ‘profaning’ a ‘sacred’ art form.
The ‘Yellow & bold headlines’ asks the viewers “ would you accept a ‘dancer’ as your daughter in law ?
Dance as a gracious art form needs to be celebrated rather than de"moralized"
This is plain ‘REGRESSIVE’ pic.twitter.com/oXrNwpZkBG
— RAHUL SRIVASTAV (@upcoprahul) December 7, 2020
Many agreed with the officer and expressed shock over the poster which they termed as insulting, sexist, and misogynistic.
This is "open #sexism", disgracing the "dancers" who earn their living from it.
TV is a mass entertainment thing, having the power to easily influence minds, and creating a perception that may last lifelong, quite in most cases.
Am I right or am I right?#iamsocialactivist https://t.co/vhMYhjTzUB
— Shanu Goel (@ShanuGofficial) December 7, 2020
It’s sad to see we have to fight this battle even more as the years pass by. Such a misogynistic and sexist ad, which not just insults a beautiful art form but the question itself is downright insulting. Are we ‘progressing’ backwards? Looks like it.
— Shreya Elizabeth (@Shreya_Elle) December 7, 2020
Agree, this is regressive and sexist too. God knows what message do such people want to send across with such content??
— Vijai Laxmi (@Vijai_Laxmi) December 7, 2020
Not only insulting.. but unlawful too..
— Surender Mehra IFS (@surenmehra) December 7, 2020
Caste, gender, patriarchy, feudal mindset and mental regression go along intertwined. One can’t be addressed without others.
— Dr Hari Om (@dr_hariom_ias) December 7, 2020
Others, however, remarked that the viewers were to blame for consuming regressive content. A few also said that the dancing portrayed in the show was quite different from classical Indian dances which are respected as cultural heritage.
Dance remains no more an art when it is done infront of the people who's not interested in ur dance but the body. Instead of blaming people such events should be stopped which presents women as an object to satisfy men's desires. https://t.co/gd3ljdfJwC
— Dolly💗 (@belikedolly) December 8, 2020
Sir, don’t blame the makers. Blame the audience. TV/Cinema wahi dikhata hai jo janta dekhna chahti hai. Samaaj ka aaeena hota hai. Ismein banane walon ka kya dosh, unko to apna kaam karna hai!
— Prashant Jain (@hulkafulka) December 7, 2020
Samaj mein nachane wali ladies ko doosri nazar se dekha jaata hai isliye ye serial samaj ka aaina hi hai, aur jyada to dekhne k baad pata chalega ji
— Ganesh sitlani (@ganeshsitlani) December 7, 2020
The problem with Indian viewer is they do find juice in such serials, which in turn fuel producers to come up with more garbage like this. Take Big boss for incident what you gain in term of entertainment leaves viewer more baffled than entertained. But who to appeal when viewers
— Krishna das (@himanklad18) December 7, 2020
themselves watch such shows. Creativity will enhance and more creative writers will be welcomed, if we cater viewership of that level. These things will continue to come and people will blame law or enforcement etc but truth is Big boss and sas bahu has more viewership than KBC
— Krishna das (@himanklad18) December 7, 2020
Do you think the posters for this new show are distasteful and regressive?