- Vinosha Ravi was wrongly identified as Tamil Nadu minister S Keerthana in a viral video
- Keerthana denied the claim and condemned judging women based on their clothing choices
- Ravi faced online trolling, abuse, and threats after the video was shared without her consent
A personal video of a woman going about her daily life suddenly landed at the centre of a political and social media storm.
Vinosha Ravi, the woman in the viral video, said her life was turned upside down after social media users wrongly identified her as Tamil Nadu minister S Keerthana.
It began with several social media users, allegedly DMK supporters, sharing a video of a woman in a short dress and questioning if it was Industries Minister Keerthana.
Keerthana clarified that the woman in the video was not her and apologised to her for being dragged into the controversy due to a passing resemblance.
Keerthana also hit out at her critics, stating that judging women over their clothes shows a regressive mindset, adding, "Even if it were me, why should it matter?"
What followed was a torrent of trolling and abuse directed at Vinosha Ravi - all because of a "short" black dress.
Speaking to NDTV, Ravi, who lives in Malaysia, said that at first when a colleague shared the video with her, she "took it as a joke". "But then it got serious and I got very worried," she said.
"It pushed me into depression. Some of the comments were abusive and vulgar."
Speaking about the trolling and scrutiny she faced, she urged people not to judge women based on their clothes and called for greater responsibility online.
"Don't think people think before posting. They just want views. They just don't think about the impact on the other person," she said.
Another worrying aspect is that Ravi did not post the video in question on any of her social media accounts. She said she was recorded by someone who then posted it online, claiming that it was the Tamil Nadu minister in the short black dress.
"After this episode, I fear going out, even to work," she told NDTV.
Ravi has approached the Malaysian police after receiving threats and vulgar messages.
"I have approached the Malaysian police over threats and abuse online. I am working with the police, who have taken it very seriously," she said.
Although shaken and scared by the trolling, she is not one to give up and insisted that the episode is not going to change the way she dresses. "I am not going to change myself or my dressing style because some people attacked me online."
Slamming the critics and trolls, she said no one has the right to judge a woman's clothing. "No one has the right to lecture women. We know what and how to dress," she signed off.
