Recently, a Pakistani Bollywood actor, Veena Malik, recently sued FHM, a men’s “lifestyle” magazine, for turning her cover shots into nude photographs. Malik admits that she did a topless shoot with her arms covering her body; however, she claims she was wearing a bikini bottom and that FHM indicated the rest of her upper body would be covered with tattoos.
Malik is seeking $2 million in damages after she has received death threats and constant criticism of her “un-Islamic” choices. Several news sources also suggested that Malik’s family has disowned her because of the photos.
To be honest, I normally ignore articles like this because I generally feel if you’re going to take your clothes off for a magazine, you should reap what you sow. I’m not saying that I condemn anyone who does this. I am just saying you should accept the consequences, as you should with any other choice you make.
Having said that, something compelled me to read this article and I was glad that I did. I don’t know if you looked at the picture but on second glance, it actually looks photoshopped as hell. Look at where a bikini would normally sit. It completely looks as if she was wearing something and they simply de-texturized it and matched her skin tone. Another indicator to me is her left leg near her hip. What is that odd imperfection. It doesn’t actually look like it is on her but merely resting on top. I’m not a photoshop expert, but this looks a little sketchy.
I did some research on this situation after I decided to write about it on the blog. I checked a bunch of articles and I think the best one I found is this one:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16093480
You can check it out on your own. It actually contains some other interesting arguments why it is likely that FHM edited the photos. I also like it because it has a video of Malik talking about the incident and I also like it because it contextualizes this situation in terms of Islamic culture and women in the Middle East.
I think one thing can be said regardless of whether or not she was actually photographed nude: this has sparked interesting discussion on women’s empowerment in Pakistan. In the article, Bina Shah, a journalist in Pakistan, said, “My question to all the men who are so upset about this, is why did you look at the pictures? If it upsets you so much, why did you click on the link?” She also said, “Women’s empowerment is about many more important things – and so is Islam for that matter – so I think we need to all of us grow up and just forget about this controversy.”
I think her first quote sums up a lot of my feelings on the issue. If they’re so outraged, why didn’t they boycott the issue? Furthermore, why don’t they boycott FHM India all the time? I think the reason many conservatives in Pakistan are so outraged is because they need images like this to become well-known by the public so they can prove that without control, women go crazy and start taking all their clothes off. None of the articles that I’ve read remotely suggest that anyone in Pakistan, including her family, is considering that FHM altered the pictures. Also, the second part of the quote is perfect. Why do they still click on the link? My thought is that they probably find her attractive and want to look at the image. It’s entirely possible that you can oppose the image without buying the issue or uploading all the other pictures from the magazine on the Internet.
I think the most important question is what are the implications of this picture in terms of women in Pakistan. I think Veena does a great job talking about this subject in the BBC article and video:
I won’t allow anybody to remove my bikini or my shalwar (loose trousers) or my dupatta (scarf).
If I want to do it, I will do it myself. And if I do it, I will own it.
If you look at the industry which I am working right now, there are various examples of such shoots – it’s not that I am the first one who has done it.
Why is sexuality such a big problem? Are we actually grown up? Are we still living in the jungles?
Although I dislike the idea that women are exposing themselves in magazines, I really appreciate her independence and understanding of responsibility in this case. I think it is very respectable that she is making her own choices, especially in a country where many women can’t even show their faces. But, the thing I respect the most about this situation is that she is standing up for herself, despite her family disowning her and despite the public outcry. She makes a very good point in the video that if FMH actually had video footage showing her shooting the photos nude then they should air them publically. This leads me to believe, at least for now, that maybe she’s one of the few women that will stand up to the media and win.
Thoughts?
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