(Shobhaa De is an established writer, columnist, opinion shaper and social commentator, who is considered an authority on popular culture.)I used to think the 'honour' of being the most over-used, marketable 4-letter word in the world belonged to 'LOVE'. From candy to condoms, canny peddlers of all things saleable cashed in on the power of love. Archie's Cards built a mini-empire pushing love on cheesy cards and cutsie gifts. Today, another four-letter word has displaced 'love'. And that word is 'rape'. Rape sells. Sickening, but true.
A 22-year-old girl was brutalized in Delhi on December 16, 2012. She was dubbed Nirbhaya (Fearless). Just sixteen days later, Nirbhaya was dead. Today, there are people in our midst who have no qualms about cashing in on 'Brand Nirbhaya'. Yes, awful as it sounds, Nirbhaya has been reshaped into a recognized brand. That's how low our morals have sunk. Nirbhaya has incredible emotive power, we are told by marketing gurus, and the value of its brand recognition cannot be underestimated! Revolting and cold-blooded as this is, there are any number of opportunists ready to exploit Nirbhaya's tragedy. Raj Shetye is one of them.
Raj Shetye is a nobody from Mumbai. Today, he is trending. Never mind that it is for the most awful reasons. Shetye's fashion shoot, very clearly inspired by Nirbhaya, has generated virulent comments across platforms, and the shocking images of a skinny female model being pinned down by two aggressive-looking male models in a bus have been deleted by most sites. Not that it matters. Shetye has become the most discussed photographer in the country!
He is busy giving interviews and going by his disingenuous quotes, he sounds thrilled with his 15-seconds of fame. He also sounds like a pretty smart cookie who knew precisely what he was doing when he staged the controversial shoot.
Should Shetye be given any importance? Yes and no. He claims innocence and says he was tapping into a crisis (stepped up violence against women). Let's play the devil's advocate and give him the benefit of the doubt. He is not the first person to court and milk controversy. Others do it in their own fashion - dubious NGOs stage extravagant fashion events to raise awareness for stray dogs / underprivileged children/rape victims/acid burn victims/HIV patients/survivors of other deadly diseases. Nobody reacts to the absurdity of those galas. Filmmakers routinely announce movies that highlight contemporary concerns such as rampant child abuse, sex trafficking rackets and gay rights. Painters use their own medium to make social/ political statements. So do writers, poets, activists. Shetye can legitimately claim the same right.
So, what has Shetye done that is more terrible than the rest? Ummm. That's a tough one. There is something 'besharam' about his approach. It smacks of total shamelessness. It has 'brazen' written all over it. And the images themselves are highly insensitive and offensive. Am I surprised this has happened? Not at all! It was waiting to happen! Nearly everyday, I am approached by event companies organizing Nirbhaya -themed functions (believe it or not!). These include self-defence workshops, seminars, lectures. All of them, without an exception, are commercial ventures, designed to make money for the organizers. Shetye was thick-skinned enough to take it one step further. Shetye had the nerve to sexualize a vicious sexual crime... for profit and fame. That takes guts. He has achieved his objective. We are talking about him. His fashion porn has attracted attention nationwide. Notoriety has its uses. Brand Nirbhaya has claimed one more commercial convert.
Shetye obviously doesn't care. But we should.
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