Alia Bhatt, We Need to Talk about Your Confusing, Misguided Views on Feminism

Last night, I saw the cover of the September issue of Cosmopolitan India on Alia Bhatt's Instagram. Next to her picture, it said: Alia Bhatt on fashion, FOMO, and why she's not a feminist. I already started writing this article in my head then (because it's my job – for those of you itching to comment 'but why do you care'), because, depressingly, I've written similar articles before.

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By the time I woke up this morning, Alia had already tweeted a clarification, “I absolutely AM a feminist.” Oh great, she understands what the term means, I thought. No need to yell 'BUY A GODDAMN DICTIONARY' anymore. But I still bought a copy of the Cosmo issue because I was curious to see if she was misquoted on the cover. And, well, she wasn't.

In the interview, she's asked about the stereotypes surrounding those who identify as feminists.

"I don't think most people understand what a feminist really means. To be honest, I wouldn't call myself a feminist, either. I think the phrase is a heavy one. I'm often asked--'Are you a feminist?' 'Do you have issues with men?' My response is simple; that a feminist is a woman who supports women. She doesn't hate men." Alia goes on to explain that the term is thrown around far too loosely. "Any woman that feels like a man is getting more rights than her jumps up and says 'I'm a feminist'. But a real feminist is someone who takes up a cause for other women--whether it's education, employment, or helping out rape and molestation victims. I think unless you've chosen that path, you can't call yourself one."

She doesn't stop there.

"Wearing dresses or cooking for your family are very superficial issues--they don't come into the picture of feminism at all! In fact, very often, men keep women safe--we don't give them enough credit for that!" She says she feels it's easier for a woman to stay safe than a man. "Women are often just told, 'Stay inside!' and it becomes the man's responsibility to safeguard her. It's easier for women to stay out of dangerous situations this way because of men."

Please note that this is all in context. I haven't removed relevant quotes or the reporter's observations from these sentences. After saying this in an interview that has been printed with the headline 'I wouldn't call myself a feminist,' which is a direct quote, Alia wrote these two tweets last night,

To clarify, I absolutely AM a feminist. To deny feminism would be to deny equality for my gender. — Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) September 13, 2016

What I *meant* to say was that I'm not an active part of a feminist campaign right now. That's it — Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) September 13, 2016

So, let's get this straight. In bullet points. Because her views are all over the place.

What Alia essentially says in the interview is that you can't be a feminist unless you're an activist. Unless you've participated in protests and rallies, unless you've 'taken up a cause for other women,' you can't call yourself a feminist. And even though you and I might think that her role in Udta Punjab might have helped women somewhere somehow, she's "not a feminist."



might have helped women somewhere somehow, she's "not a feminist." Then, there's her concern that feminism is a "heavy" phrase. Um, so? So what if it's a heavy phrase? Are you shying away from calling yourself a feminist just because you're worried about living up to it? Here's the thing, Alia, we're all Feminists In Progress. None of us is a perfect feminist. There's so much to learn and so much to consider, and we've all been conditioned for so long to treat women as the second-rate gender, that we're bound to make mistakes.



Now, the best part. This sentence: "Any woman that feels like a man is getting more rights than her jumps up and says 'I'm a feminist'.” But she should, Alia! That is the literal definition of feminism – gender equality. If you have fewer rights than your male counterparts, please jump up and say you're a feminist, and DEMAND EQUAL RIGHTS. Please.



And, Alia, if it were easier for women to stay safe than men, our sex ratio wouldn't be skewed in favour of men. Are men also unsafe in this world? Absolutely. Have horrific crimes been committed against men? 100%. Are women safer than men because they're supposed to take care of us? Dude, come on!



But the biggest question of all is, how did Alia manage to become a feminist overnight, the moment she started getting flak for the Cosmo cover?

Did she join a cause for women's empowerment since she gave the magazine this interview? Did she finally understand that feminism isn't just supporting other women, it's the idea that all genders are equal? Or did her publicist tell her that the backlash might harm her image as a youth icon?

No one is saying that actors like Parineeti Chopra, Lisa Haydon, Tabu, and now Alia don't want gender equality. No one is saying they have to be perfect feminists, because practically no one is.

But, please, try to understand the movement before you start giving rambling, confusing interviews about it. Feminism is the belief that all genders are equal. Wearing dresses is a feminist issue, because when a girl is raped, the first question she's asked is what she was wearing. Cooking is a feminist issue because young women, and not men, are made to join cooking classes before they get married. Feminism is a heavy phrase, but so is rape culture. We need one to fight the other. Accept it, embrace it, learn about it. And, while we're at it - invest in a pocket dictionary.

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