Sushmita Sen and the sexist internet mock Miss Universe after they call her a gold-digger.

 

Sushmita Sen and the sexist internet mock Miss Universe after they call her a gold-digger.

                                                                     

Sushmita Sen, the first Indian woman to win the Miss Universe title, is a popular Bollywood actress who most recently acted in the international television series "Arya," which has been nominated for an International Emmy Award. However, none of the actress' accomplishments were trending.

She became popular once it was revealed that she was dating Lalit Modi, the founding father of the Indian Premier League. Sen and wealthy Modi, who is 12 years Sen's senior, announced their engagement on social media by posting images of their family holiday to Sardinia and the Maldives.

Her decision to date a man who was wealthier and older than she was harshly criticised by the media very immediately, and misogynistic remarks soon followed. She received insults, with women being referred to as "money diggers" standing out as the worst. Even as her acting career continues to soar because of her stunning performance in the online series Arya, Sen was derided as a "money digger" for dating a wealthier man.

Sen has consistently questioned established societal standards throughout the years. She is an example for many women because she challenged various rules in the course of adopting her two daughters, brought up the topic of adopting a girl child in culture, and pushed for women to live financially independent lives.

Sen recovered well from a serious illness and was given the diagnosis of Addison's disease, a rare long-term endocrine disorder, with the help of the popular Hotstar show "Arya." It's very disheartening to see such animosity toward her dating decisions.

There should be no need to defend the decisions you make for your own life, even while no one has the right to remark on another person's private dating life. More significantly, cyberbullying can harm someone's emotional health. Whether it's a famous 46-year-old superstar or just a 25-year-old lady, calling someone a "money digger" shouldn't become accepted in society.

Sen had stated in an interview that she is able to purchase diamonds on her own. She said, "I have never accepted diamond gifts from anyone. In fact, many years ago I gave myself a 22-carat diamond ring that I still wear today. People ask "What is she wearing?!" while they watch me buy for groceries. However, I'm happy for myself that I was able to do it. My diamond ring represents empowerment and hope for me. I think all women should have financial independence in particular.

A woman who has always emphasised the value of having financial independence and who has lived her entire life without depending on a male partner is now being criticised for dating someone who is wealthier.

In India, dowry was a common practice, but a guy requesting extravagant presents was never referred to as a "gold digger." But if a woman who is self-sufficient in money chooses to date a man who is wealthier than her, then her entire personality is reduced to just being after money.

The same media that attacked Sushmita Sen and referred to her as a gold digger ignores the abhorrent dowry customs in India.

One of the many remarks about her connection with Lalit Modi quoted a person as saying that if a guy is rich and successful, he can get any female since all women want is money. These discriminatory remarks have a long history in our patriarchal culture, which has always presented women as selfish.

In addition, it has never been easy for people to understand why an older woman would date a much older man. If a woman is much younger or older than a guy, the age-gap partnerships are always degraded. In these partnerships, the guy is never in doubt.

Sen had raised eyebrows because of her prior connection with Rohman Shawl, a model who was 25 years old. In terms of the age difference and financial resources, this relationship was a carbon copy of her current one. With the exception of her prior relationship, the guy was never disparaged for dating a richer woman, and she was repulsed for dating such a young man.

Age does not appear to be a factor in how men date, as seen by the relationship between actor Keanu Reeves and artist Alexandra Grant. Although Reeves was 55 years old and Grant was 46 at the time, the actor received accolades for his age-appropriate dating decision.

No one has ever heard somebody call a man an offensive name, but a woman does. This type of behaviour is simply wrong and shameful, thus it isn't encouraged in any manner. But isn't making jokes about it merely a way to normalise such despised behaviour?

If we were to examine the underlying causes of this type of misogynistic behaviour, we would see how our culture has gradually normalised it.

The decisions a woman makes in life are always closely watched by everyone. Women are often the subject of criticism, and everyone has the right to do so.

In this day and knowledge, it is shameful to witness such a response from the media. It's past time to discuss the problematic misogynistic ideas and seek to lessen the taboo around the relationship between age and wealth.

A woman can choose whether she wants to date a man who is younger, older or her own age. She can also choose whether to live her life with a wealthy or poor man.

I wonder how a regular lady may be struggling with these archaic gender conventions in her day-to-day life if a star as big as Sushmita Sen can experience such cruelty from the orthodox society.