Bollywood reacts to Mallika Sherawat's 'anti-India' remarks

It is said that we do not see the world as it is, but as we are. While there are pockets of India that are way more regressive than even Afghanistan, there is another India that is way more progressive than Europe or America. India is too complex a nation to be reduced to a blurb. At the same time it is also a nation that permits everyone to have an opinion, no matter how banal or profound.

Divya Dutta
Wonder why she said what she did! Isn’t she undermining all the Indian women achievers who’ve been given great opportunities by this country? She got her fame here. Women in this country are on par with their sisters in any part of the world.

Raakhee Gulzar
Poor thing. She tried every trick, yet made no impact. If she says we’re regressive then she must leave, find herself a more suitable place of her choice. Maybe a nudist’s colony?

Amrita Puri
The context in which Mallika spoke was ridiculous. She made it sound like she is the only progressive actor in this country. It’s a shame that she was given a platform where she presented such a false and unintelligent point of view.

Shibani Kashyap
She shouldn’t be talking against India. It shows her lack of empathy with her roots and an absence of loyalty to the country that has given her name, fame and stardom. Rather than bitching about India why doesn’t she work towards the safety of women here?

Tapsee Pannu
I don’t want to waste my time and energy commenting on the comments of such people.

Tannishta Chatterjee
The status of women is no different in other countries. The expressions and manifestations are different. The cosmetic pressure on women comes from the West. In the US, being a woman president was made into such a  big deal.

Dia Mirza
Honestly, I believe India is a paradox and for many women in our country the benefits of progressive thought, equal opportunities and a level playing-field are denied.

There have been times when I’ve been deeply disturbed about many issues that trouble women in India. Having said that, I think it’s unfair to make a sweeping statement that encompasses all women. Such a rash generalisation undermines the very voices that strive to make India a better place for women.Instead of being pessimistic we should all make a conscious effort to strengthen those voices thereby further empowering women.”

Richa Chadha
I saw her interview and found it typical of a Colonial prejudice, replete with a gora accent and all. Yes, India has regressive elements that results in rapes, female foeticides and a gender bias. But India is also a country where women choose to wear and say what they want. It has Indira Gandhi, Indra Nooyi and Medha Patkar. And yes, we also have space for Mallika Sherawat. It is uncool for an Indian woman to go abroad  and speak ill of our country.

Dolly Ahluwalia
If she feels so strong against this country, why has she tolerated India for so long? She is forgetting her identity as a woman is due to this country. I am proud to be an Indian woman and to represent my country at international forums.

Khusbhoo
As a woman and a proud citizen of my country I find her statements very harsh. Her comments project my India in a very bad light to the outside world. We do have our flaws. But which country doesn’t? A child was flushed down a toilet in China this week.

Could society get any more regressive than that? Mallika is an Indian. She has the freedom to speak her mind. That shows how progressive we are