Telugu singer Sunitha Upadrasta has found herself at the centre of controversy over her take on feminism. After stating in an interview that if women believe it’s her body, her choice, men are also free to believe it’s his eyes, his choice, she sparked massive backlash. The internet called her out for erasing feminist struggles.
What did Sunitha Upadrasta say?
Sunitha was asked in an interview with Gulte about her opinion on the fight for equality, and she said, “Women think the cigarette light is their torch for freedom. It is the stupidest thing in the world to equate cigarette smoking with equality. If a man smokes, he might lose just minutes, but a woman will lose hours of her life. The debates on equality today surprise me; I think it’s a waste of time. If you think freedom is to wear whatever you want, you’re being foolish. That’s not feminism at all. It is to value my opinions as much as a man’s, and if I am treated well, that’s important.”
When the male interviewer pointed out that ‘my body, my right’ is a strong feminist slogan today, the singer said, “My body, my right. And his eyes, his right. When women say it, then it’s his right too. In my opinion, it doesn’t come under freedom. Wear whatever you want, as long as you’re safe. If you think nobody will judge you or look at you, wear it. It’s easier to keep myself safe than to change how someone else views me. It’s not our culture. I don’t mind if you think I’m old school.”
Sunitha also clarified that she’s not disputing that women aren’t looked down upon, whether at home or outside. However, she stated that she believes the fight for feminism should be about women being valued as much as men, rather than things like dressing or smoking.
The massive backlash that followed
As soon as the clip of her saying ‘My body, my right. And his eyes, his right’ began gaining traction on social media, Sunitha was called out for her take. “Andamaina moham, Sravyamaina gonthu vunna vallaki Common Sense kooda vundi vuntadi le ani anukovatam kacchitam ga mana thappe. (It’s our fault for assuming those with beautiful faces and voices would have common sense too),” wrote one X (formerly Twitter) user reacting to the clip.
“When I say my body my right, i am not violating anyone you dumbf**k!!!” commented one incensed X user, while another pointed out, “The campaign is for sexual & reproductive rights of w. Abortion is illegal in 24 countries which affects millions of w of reproductive age. Let’s not learn anything & erase 150 years of struggle and 3 waves of feminism to please men and worship their dcks with slavish dependency.”
“Women know the difference when someone looks at them vs when we’re being ogled. You don’t have to school us about “perception” Thu maa experiences invalidate cheyadanike puttinattu em sodhi lectures istharu ra (Why give lectures to invalidate experiences),” fumed one X user, while another pointed out, “Equating women’s bodily autonomy with men’s lack of self-control is a flawed argument. It also reflects a mindset that views women’s choices through the lens of male validation.”
One X user even asked Sunitha if those who dress ‘modestly’ are safe today, writing, “What guarantee does the society give to women who don’t parade the idea of “my body, my choice” and who dress pretty modestly that harassment be it verbal or physical won’t happen to them. The harassments are going to happen either way even if you dress modestly or not so why.”
Sunitha is a popular 48-year-old singer and voice artist who has received numerous awards and voiced many hits. She made her singing debut in 1995 with the film Gulabi and was a judge on the popular TV show Padutha Theeyaga.