Witchcraft, Opportunism, Black Magic - Rhea Chakraborty and India's Rooted Sexism

This piece is not about the unfortunate death of an actor, the matter of his partner's accusations or in relation with the nature of his death. It is instead about the disgusting vilification of a woman, that has put in front of us the ugliness of misogyny in India.

Guilty or not, the media trial against Rhea Chakraborty has been nothing if not brutal. Even if the allegations made against her are true, comments ranging from people trashing Bengali women for being gold diggers to her receiving rape threats are absolutely horrifying. Not only this, but even Bhojpuri songs piled with vulgarity against Rhea were released on YouTube. The most disturbing fact despite this is the fact that these actions have not initiated action but have garnered support.

The country's biggest news channels have discarded headlines for this sensational trial, and some have not shied away from gaining TRP via claims of Rhea's 'black magic' and of course, the 'opportunist girlfriend' angle exploited by each and every one of them. Her appearance has been dissected piece by piece, her choice of clothing analysed, and sexist hate speech has filled columns on social media and more. Would a man's attire be dismembered in such manner? Is a woman who finds herself in a relationship in a man more successful always a gold digger? These questions need answers, and soon.

Once again, this piece has no regard for whether Rhea Chakroborty is guilty or not, however, it does have regard for how a pattern has followed in high profile cases exposed to Indian media trials. Victims to accused, Arushi Talwar to Rhea Chakraborty, all have been subject to cruel character assassination, sadly based more on their gender than the very case itself.

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Writer: Mannat Kandal

Image courtesy: Jiya Naryani

#rhea #ssr #misogyny