Even in 2020, bra straps are a big deal. If our bra straps show from under the transparent dress we are wearing, there will be at least two people around us who will point it out saying, ‘the bra is showing’ or strap shame us. Some of them will even show willingness to adjust them.
MTV’s latest quirky initiative — Baar Bra Dekho wants too spread the word against strap shaming and normalise conversations around it. The initiative calls out to all women to be themselves in bold bra straps that ask onlookers to stay away.
Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota actress Radhika Madan has been roped in as the face of Baar Bra Dekho initiative. She is encouraging women to share their stories of being strap shamed and thereby spread awareness about the issue.
The actress says that strap shaming is something that has happened with every girl including her and her friends. “I really liked the concept of the show and could relate to it,” says the young actress.
MTV has released a video where the bra straps of girls are adjusted. Radhika plays one of the many girls. “I am also seen as one of the girls whose strap is being adjusted by an aunty,” she says.
Being a celebrity, is she less conscious about her strap or cleavage now? The Pataakha actress says, “Celebrity or not, once we grow up, we tend to realise that bra strap is not such a big issue.”
She adds that the shaming instances make her conscious about the kind of society we live in. Sharing an incident that she faced, she says, “I was in school and there was this transition from sports bra to normal bra. I remember, I was wearing a pink bra one day and a guy came and said to me, ‘Oh pink bra’. The way he spoke left me quite embarrassed. My classmates too were checking me out. It was not just about this guy, teachers, peers too made it such a big deal. Such things happen everywhere, including home and workplace.”
She adds that it’s also about how people around us react. “Teachers used to tell us, ‘Wear a new bra tomorrow’. When you are young, a teacher commenting on your bra strap can have an impact on you. We never check out a guy’s underwear or tell them, ‘Oh you are wearing a red boxer’. Then why us?,” she shares.
But does she draw the line for others as to how far they can go to comment on her clothing? The actress says, “I am very chilled. They can say whatever they want and if they tell me, I respond with, ‘Yeah, it’s showing’. It depends on how comfortable I am in my own skin. It’s not about what people think of me, it’s about what I feel like wearing,”says the actress whose film Angrezi Medium is set to release on March 15.
