Photo Series Shows Indian Women's 'Flaws'
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When we look in the mirror, we have this terrible tendency to spot the things we don't like about ourselves. We look at the things we perceive as flaws, poking and prodding as we wish our bodies were different. But, why? Do we genuinely see something wrong with ourselves, or are we taught to think certain bodies are bad? In a photo series, Mumbai-based student Yukti Bhagchandani highlighted what various Indian women consider flaws in their bodies based on the criticisms they most often hear. Yukti's series is a celebration of these bodies, showing that there's no such thing as a "bad" body, there are just bad thoughts about them. We talked to Yukti about her project.
Photos courtesy of Yukti Bhagchandani.
Yukti Bhagchandani1/6Why did you start this project?
Yukti Bhagchandani: I am currently pursuing Mass Media from Jai Hind College, Mumbai. Photography being one of our subjects, we were given a photo series to make on any topic of our choice. And it actually did not take me too long to decide what my project was going to address because young women around me are always heard complaining about their tiny bodily flaws and how they thought they were so far from being perfect in terms of their physical attributes.
Yukti Bhagchandani2/6What are the most common criticisms you hear from your subjects?
Even the conventionally good looking women wish they had thinner arms, bigger breasts, a sharper nose or thicker lips.
Yukti Bhagchandani3/6What do you hope people learn from your project?
YB: I wanted to put across the message that our reasons for being unhappy about our bodies are more trivial than we think and we must first really learn to be grateful for being given a full body.
Yukti Bhagchandani4/6Do you have any advice on how to love our bodies, despite criticism or perceived flaws?
YB: I understand that no can can close their ears to society's conventional ideas of beauty, however, we must focus more on growing and bettering ourselves in ways that go beyond our physical attributes.
Yukti Bhagchandani5/6Why do you think we are so hard on ourselves over our own bodies?
YB: On trying to understand the reasons behind this all, I realised that this wasn’t as much a result of self-scrutiny than it was the result of the kind of insensitive comments that were thrown at them, most of the times, in a manner of jokes, and not by men alone. And of course, the fashion, media and advertising industries cannot be forgotten when it comes to creating unrealistically perfect women on various visual mediums. However, I believe peers have a stronger impact on young minds. Thus, it is important that youngsters start making conscious efforts to stop comparing themselves to others and making strong statements on others.
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