Getting offended has easily become the national sport for the India of today. We are upset over the slightest of transgressions that we think may be impacting our ‘prestigious’ culture, and there have been multiple things that have offended us in 2017. 

So it was no surprise that, recently, Sunny Leone was banned from performing at a New Year Event in Bengaluru.

Because, why not? 

Why not continue to put unnecessary labels and tags on people, especially women? Why not continue to objectify women in a manner that we have accepted and refuse to adapt or change? 

We still see Sunny Leone through the lens of her past profession when today, she is so much more. She is a Bollywood actress, and one of the few celebrities to take the noble step of adopting a girl child. 

She also happens to be the host of one of the highest-viewed shows on TV. She’s advocated to stop smoking, supported charities for cancer patients and promoted breast cancer awareness. 

She’s also funded a school for the underprivileged children, planted trees for the environment, spread Christmas joy at orphanages and promoted cruelty-free animal wear. 

In fact, she’s been a picture of grace, beauty and poise through every interview or public statement that she has ever made, an attribute that seems to be glaringly missing for many Bollywood icons, famous reporters and political leaders alike. 

But no, this is not what we associate with Sunny Leone. We will continue to judge her for a past that she has openly accepted. She has never tried to hide who she was, has accepted her professional choices and yet we continue to critique her, but we dare not support her!

We will mock every decision that she makes, take a stand against her every act, and even have a problem with the way she dresses because obviously, she can not move away from her past and anyway, we won’t let her! 

Recently, the response that Leone gave to this outrageous ban was a shining example of the kind of class that she always exhibits. A class that people who banned her from performing because of her ‘obscene’ clothing clearly do not possess. 

Sunny has openly appreciated the change in Bollywood’s perception towards her and has always acknowledged the love and support she has received. And most importantly, she has never shied away from taking a stand. 

And how is the way Sunny Leone dresses suddenly become so outrageous when female celebrities have been dressing in ‘bold attires’ for the longest time ever? When celebrities in the past have continued to express themselves the way they wanted, why not Sunny Leone?

Something that Sunny very beautifully expressed via her Instagram post.

We have had Dimple Kapadia break the norm, Parveen Babi challenge the notions, Madhubala look demure but be bold, Deepika Padukone fight threats, Kangana Ranaut call out hypocrisies – Bollywood has given us great heroines that brought about a change slowly and steadily. And Sunny is just one other heroine in this long list. 

When other actresses can perform at Indian award shows in a variety of outfits, why not Sunny as well?

Why are we, as a country, so fixated on one woman who is just trying to make a career for her self? Just like so many others in this industry! 

Do we have a problem with her open acceptance of her past or the fact that she has a past? Because let’s face it, so do many other famous celebrities, be it in Bollywood or Hollywood. And after all this time, it is not her but it is us, who are still still stuck in the past.  

Because India’s ‘rich cultural’ history should not be distorted, even if its present is getting fucked up, one outrageous ban at a time!