“Apparently my pictures are responsible for crime against women. Ha ha, really? The same reasoning was used against me during the Nirbhaya case in Delhi. I want to ask all those people who find me provocative enough to induce crime, was there no crime against women before I arrived on the scene,†asked Poonam.
“Main toh sirf baat karti hoon. Maine kuch kiya nahin (I only talk. I haven’t done anything). There are renowned respected actors who heave and thrust in item songs. They are watched by a lot more men than I am,†she added.
Poonam is adamant that rape has no connection with the pin-up provocateurs. “I don’t think men go out and commit crime against women because of what they see in films and in pictures. On the contrary, I feel there would be far less crime against women if there would be more sexual gratification at home for men belonging to a certain class, who don’t have direct and easy access to female company,†she said.
Poonam objects strongly to the view that women invite unwanted attention by the way they dress. “Oh please! Five-year-old girls get raped. Do they wear short skirts that provoke such crimes? It is ridiculous to suggest that rape can be prevented if women remain fully clothed,†she said. In any case, Poonam feels mainstream Hindi cinema has a lot to be answerable for. “I’ve seen them indulge in shameless sex talk where heroes are making pointed references to women’s body parts. What kind of example are these iconic stars setting,†she asked.
Poonam is adamant that rape has no connection with the pin-up provocateurs. “I don’t think men go out and commit crime against women because of what they see in films and in pictures. On the contrary, I feel there would be far less crime against women if there would be more sexual gratification at home for men belonging to a certain class, who don’t have direct and easy access to female company,†she said.
