‘Man’ enough to stand up

Male celebrities today are more than willing to back their exes, ‘good’ friend or an alleged flame on popular online podiums, if need be. A slew of recent instances stand as a testament to the same. Be it how Virat Kohli slamming trolls about his erstwhile flame and actor Anushka Sharma; or better yet, when Sidharth Malhotra locked horns with the infamous tweeter KRK for his nasty comment on ‘good friend’ Alia’s bikini pictures. Even Hrithik Roshan publicly rubbished rumours about his estranged wife Sussane Khan asking him for alimony. With so much written, said and done, are celebrities today becoming increasingly defensive or is taking a stance for people who matter(ed) the flavour of the hour We set to find out

“Decency is the new macho. Dimensions and perceptions of relationships have radically changed over the years. Irrelevant of the status of a relationship, it is perfectly human to stand up against something you feel is wrong. And Virat’s response is justified. It was truly unfair to blame his ex-girlfriend for the quality of his performances. It’s something a gentleman would’ve done. Acts like these have got more to do on a personal level; probably about clearing the air, especially if the person on the receiving end is somebody you still have a great deal of respect for,” states Chaitanya KM, a renowned film maker and an active twitter user.

On the other hand, Prof. S. Japhet, professor of Sociology cum Director, CSSE, The National Law School Of India University, Nagarbhavi , attributes it to social responsibility. “Public figures today are aware that they’re being looked up to by millions. That also implies a certain amount of responsibility that they carry. Hence, more than being defensive, it’s an obligation to stand up and voice their opinions in times of crisis or when unwarranted negative feedback arises. By being assertive enough to differentiate between white and black, they’re setting out an example of how false facts and scathing trolls backed by little truth mustn’t be encouraged.”