"You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still like air, I'll rise."
Maya Angelou.
A quote which is apt for Malayalam actress Gilu Joseph who very beautifully did a photoshoot for a magazine named "Grihalakshmi" for its campaign "Breastfeeding India". The front cover of the magazine had Gilu Joseph portraying the role of a mother and breastfeeding a baby. The cover page is much in news these days as a complaint which has been filed against it. Here's what Gilu has to say about the campaign and her photoshoot.
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Q.How difficult was it for you to make up your mind for this photoshoot?
A.I did not have to make up my mind for that photoshoot. It's quite a normal thing to breastfeed a baby. There's nothing wrong in it and because it's for a good cause, I did not even think twice before doing it.
Q.How do you interpret the picture?
A.The picture is for a good cause so I won't judge it at all.
Q. A complaint has been filed against the cover picture under section 3 and 4 of indecent representation of women act 1986? What's your take on that?
A.We live in a democratic country. Everybody has right to have an opinion. But as long as I am confident about what I did, I should not bother about what others think. According to me feeding a baby is never indecent.Indecency is in the mindset and in the eyes of the onlookers. Feeding a baby is a divine act and there is nothing sexual about it.
During that photo shoot, the baby's mother was sitting next to me, the photographer's wife was there and the little baby was sleeping on my chest. I didn't find anything bad about the picture.
Q. Tell us something about the magazine's campaign"Breastfeeding India". what led to the start of this campaign?
A.Feeding a baby is a noble act and it's beyond any culture, religion and even God himself. But in India feeding a baby in public is considered a taboo. The campaign is about the same cause. There's nothing wrong in it. In fact, it's a noble cause. The problem is also with the mindset of people who consider it to be a sexual act.
Moreover, as a women at times we don't respect our body. The campaign is about making women respect their body and feel proud of who they are.
Q. How was the response to this step of yours?
A. I was a socially active person but after that photo shoot, I have been receiving a lot of criticism. My social media account is full of abuse. People don't realize that's it's a beautiful picturization of a mother feeding a baby. It's disheartening. But because I am confident I don't bother about others.
Q. Being a poet where do you get your inspiration from?
A. From within myself. And hence I do not depend on anybody for my inspiration and for my happiness.
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