Bikini politics: An itsy-bitsy issue

Throughout history, women’s attire, especially those who dare enter the public fray, has attracted controversy; everyone has an opinion on it. This is hardly unique to India. During Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, his rival posted an image of the prospective First Lady posing provocatively, wearing handcuffs and sporting a pistol. Trump retaliated with a picture of his opponent’s spouse (somewhat dour compared to Melania) by asking voters “Which would you prefer?”, eliciting many chuckles at the time.

Typically, women politicians in India campaign in saris with their heads covered. Cultivating a demure (read, chaste) appearance, reminiscent of either the obedient daughter or dutiful wife, has been part and parcel of electioneering (though they are not spared criticism for this either).

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been accused of wearing “jeans in Delhi and sindoor in the gaon”, like there is something villainous about lounging in denims, or that she is doing it deliberately, behind the voters’ backs.

Like many 20-somethings of her generation, Gautam sees no contradiction between posing in a bikini and fighting an election but the Twitter fascination for her swimsuit threatens to obscure everything else. The sword the Opposition wields is the judgmental critique, that a woman in a bikini can’t be taken seriously as a politician.

It is worth noting in a country where more than half the population is under 30 — and fully exposed to the world through social media — a two-piece swimsuit isn’t so shockingly risqué anymore. The hashtag #indianbikini has lakhs of posts on Instagram, a revelation on how technology can impact identity, and thereby, a culture.

Contrary to what the Hindu Mahasabha would have us believe, the posers aren’t adult movie actors but ordinary women from small and large Indian towns, often juxtaposing a two-piece alongside a sari. Now that a candidate has had the temerity to be unapologetic for her sartorial choices, the question must be asked, how do the mean things people say affect society at large? If one had to blindly theorise on our national discourse, too large a majority is influenced by outdated truths. Reconstructing new personal beliefs will require many uninhibited youngsters like Gautam thrown in the mix.

The bikini is so ubiquitous in Hindi films it’s not even a prop to portray a liberated woman anymore. The bikini sari blouse is a standard fashion item, available on Flipkart. Ath-leisure brands like UnderArmour and Nike make bikini tops as gym wear. Delegitimising the women wearing them in politics is a sign of inequality, the message being women are not fully welcome in the hallowed halls of government just yet.

(The writer is director, Hutkay Films)