Designer Rimzim Dadu speaks out against Kangana Ranaut: It’s never too late

Kangana Ranaut

Let's get real. Indian fashion designers' interest in taking a stand is limited to the aesthetic realm. A response, mostly calculated, towards diversity sometimes, or perhaps a support for sarees. But Anand Bhushan proved to be an exception to the limited-edition trend when the designer took to Twitter and Instagram yesterday to "pledge to never work with actor Kangana Ranaut in any capacity". He didn't stop just at the pledge. He also removed all publicity images with Ranaut from the brand's social media channels. In an industry which basically runs on Bollywood endorsements, paid or otherwise, this assertion is nothing short of brave. And it's not an unfamiliar adjective for Bhushan, as he says: "Our brand ethos is centred around brave women. In the past, we have associated with Kangana because we believed she was a credible actress, and dressed her for red carpet events and magazine cover shoots. We as a brand, however, do not support hate speech."

Designer Anand Bhushan

Bhushan's public statement was a counter-response to Ranaut's post on Tuesday, urging PM Narendra Modi to ‘tame' Mamata Banerjee using his ‘virat roop' from the early 2000s, referring to the time he was CM of Gujarat. Bhushan says he took a stand against an expression of hate and violence at a time when India is in the midst of pandemic devastation. "I was shocked when I read her post. Is this woman for real?" asks a sincerely enraged Bhushan on a phone call from his home in Noida.

The designer shares a special bond with Gujarat. He was a student at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, in 2005. "I've seen how people were traumatised, and continue to be, by the [Godhra] riots. Kangana's tweet really hit a raw nerve, and took me back to my experience in Gujarat," he says softly.

Rimzim Dadu along with the social media post

It's apocalyptic outside, says Bhushan about his home state Delhi. "What you read in newspapers and social media is only the tip of the iceberg of the capital's health crisis. Ninety thousand kgs of wood at Nigambodh Ghat alone is used daily for cremations and Delhi's crematoriums are running out of wood required for pyres on account of rising COVID-19 deaths. How can we afford to be silent?" feels Bhushan.

At the time this article went to press, Rimzim Dadu was the only other designer to join Bhushan in speaking out against Ranaut on social media. "Never too late to do the right thing," read the caption, quietly echoing Bhushan's sentiment.

Rimzim Dadu

In the middle of this pandemic when there's already a lot of devastation and suffering, Dadu advocates looking after each other, irrespective of which side of the political spectrum we stand. "In that light, I just didn't feel it right that anybody, including celebrities, should remotely insinuate violence. Violence in any shape and form and against anybody should be condemned," Dadu adds.

Ranaut came under attack for a spate of tweets, particularly one targeting Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the aftermath of the elections and the subsequent violence in the state. Referring to Banerjee as an "unleashed monster", Ranaut had tweeted, "We need super gundai to kill gundai... she is like an unleashed monster, (sic)".

In a move that was largely applauded by its users, the micro-blogging platform was quick to permanently suspend her account for violating its policies.