Recently, Indian TV actor Hina Khan made her debut at the Cannes Film Festival. She attended the festival to promote her upcoming movie Lines, the poster of which she unveiled at the festival. 

For her first appearance at the festival – the screening of Brazilian film Bacurau – she walked the red carpet in a Ziad Nakad gown. 

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At a festival, that honors the best of cinema from across the globe, and where celebrities discuss cinema and art across borders, a magazine editor passed a distasteful comment on his Instagram handle about her. 

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In response, Hina Khan tweeted that she was ‘proud’ to be an outsider. 

People from the Indian TV and Film industry were quick to condemn him and support Hina.

While the editor later apologised for his comment, the sentiment drew a lot of flak from different sections of the media, with many suggesting that it reeked of ‘elitism’.

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Many pointed out that it reflected a regressive point of view where one could not see a ‘female TV actor’ as a part of an international film festival. And that is not a fair, logical, or frankly, even an acceptable thought. 

Does this not highlight that even today, in 2019, people have a problem with ambitious women? And one of the easiest ways to ‘bring a woman down’ is to pass comments on her attire. 

And why is it that we still consider TV to be a lesser medium of expression when it reaches approximately 183 million TV households in the country? 

A viewer may question the kind of content being broadcasted, but today, that content is being viewed by a majority of the Indian audience. 

Hina Khan was an Indian representative at the Cannes Film festival. To reiterate, she was there to promote a movie and not to showcase a designer. It wasn’t the New York or Paris Fashion Week, it was the Cannes Film Festival. 

Even in the past, industry veterans have remarked on how Cannes should not be about fashion, but about films. 

To then question Hina Khan’s presence at the festival is not only a reflection of a myopic, regressive point of view but also pulls down women in general. And that is not something that anyone needs more of. 

What we need is greater support and appreciation for Indian talent that manages to cross boundaries and makes an impression on a larger scale. Like Priyanka Chopra did. She included Hina Khan in the festival, and publically praised her. 

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An unexpected invitation by a world star.. personally, after I gained consciousness and prepared my self to finally make it, I was still an outsider but only until you arrived. You didn’t need to, but still never left my hand for a second, introduced me to the people I probably wouldn’t have met and I felt as if all the achievements of my little career happening in fast forward as you present me as a star to each one of them. You somehow know everything ..as you mentioned my debut film and praised me for my hard work and appreciated me for the risks I have taken in my choices. Yes I have taken risks and I am still taking them, whr I almost have everything in my television career ..position,power,money everything.. But someone has to start somewhere I believe.. I always wanted to break the stereotypes and prove it to the world that television actors have it all.. Give us the opportunity our fare share and we will kill it..Not easy at all I know.. But ya I will keep trying keep working hard and make it possible.. I REPEAT TELEVISION HAS IT ALL.. Talent, Glamour, Elegance, Beauty, Grace, Right attitude , and Professionalism.. I am taking baby steps, And I will keep doing that no matter how much criticism one has to face and I will make my own place I promise.. we will face it and win over it as long as we are together.. Hearfelt Gratitude to each one of you for standing by me🙏 WE HAVE IT ALL GUYS.. With my first debut film called LINES, I am trying hard very hard to erase the lines created between talents and mediums 🙏And coming back to @priyankachopra your inclusiveness surpasses my ability of comprehension. Your deliberate attempt to lift up people around you not for their backgrounds but their talent is one of a kind. You are a walking inspiration! When a human being is a personification of an idea of self belief, Grace , humility, substance and greatness, that person can only be you priyanka Chopra You are already the best version of my dream self in the future I want and I believe thousands others like me do too. This is the Priyanka Chopra who believes in lifting others and growing together🙏 you are a sweetheart @nickjonas #AnOutsider #FromTelevisonToCannes

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That’s the support we need. Women supporting women, or rather, people supporting people. Let’s stop questioning people’s achievements on the basis of their gender, and just appreciate achievements.