When iconic designer Sabyasachi hit the Indian fashion scene in the early 2000s, one of his first big shows featured models with glasses. It was, perhaps, the earliest ode to embracing imperfection as a form of beauty before it became trendy to do so. India was different then; Sabyasachi didn’t have to worry about anyone gunning for him when he announced that his designs were inspired by the women of Sonagachi, a red light area in Kolkata. Which is why it is ironic to see Sabyasachi succumb to political pressure 20 years later, when he is a hundred crore rich and wielding immense power, creating a brand recognized everywhere as the epitome of Indian luxury.
Sabyasachi recently withdrew within a day of launching an ad campaign for the mangalsutra. A dusky and voluptuous woman displays her creation, The Royal Bengal Mangalsutra, at a substantial cleavage, resting her head on a bare-bodied man. A shrewd politician had threatened legal action against the designer for his “objectionable and obscene” depiction of a Hindu marriage symbol. It is yet another example of the misogyny that plagues India that the brands that have withdrawn their ads from 2020 – Fabindia, Tanishq Jewellery, Dabur’s Fame Bleach and Sabyasachi – all largely cater to women. Reports of vandalism at a Tanishq showroom in Gujarat last year were exaggerated, but the incident set a precedent for acceptable cowardice in tackling marginalized elements in 2021.
Threats of violence in a few tweets with poor grammar, it seems, have stirred up big corporations. Hypothetically, what if these companies had stood their ground, ignored the fringes and continued to do business as usual? In all likelihood, nothing. Will sales be affected? certainly not. Sabyasachi’s target audience is a sensible, well-travelled woman who takes spontaneous pleasure in female form, a very different profile from those who accuse the designer of pornography (and who can’t stand her anyway). ). Cancel Culture, a process of boycotting brands because of their stance on a social issue, does not apply to Sabyasachi, as his values of inclusivity and empowerment closely match those of his buyers, who sympathetically view this anger against him. .
When anger is rising, the argument in favor of appeasement is that companies are first responsible for protecting their shareholders and employees. That they are not obliged to fix the society. While it faced outright ridiculous accusations of “hurting” Hindu sentiments by naming a Diwali collection as Urdu, Fabindia’s response was troubling, in a way downplaying the minority community. A retreat to keep a shaky peace, is becoming the norm in film and advertising in India. No one knows who might get annoyed, so one must live in fear of derailing projects at the slightest provocation. The day is not far when some perverted marketing mind creates a storyboard with a deliberate plan to set you over the edge to take advantage of the dividends trending on social media.
The wonderful thing about humanity is that we are capable of doing things that do not benefit us personally, for no reason other than that it is the right thing to do. In philosophy, this is the thesis of moral overriding: the idea that the moral condition is always supreme, no matter how complex the situation. It was a belief in a singular truth that took the Mahatma on a 380 km journey to break Britain’s colonial salt laws. The ethical standards set at the top filter down to a company. Those who have been accused of setting the right example have a duty to power, especially when their decisions can negatively affect our fragile social fabric.
The writer is the director of Hatke Films
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