It's 2021; should people still be concerned with age-appropriate dressing with celebs like Rajini Chandy?

This past week, social media in Kerala was abuzz with the pictures of Rajini Chandy’s photoshoot. The makeover photoshoot of the actor who is pushing 70, showed her in distressed jeans and a short denim skirt. But though the aim of the pictures was to suggest that ‘age is just a number’ and show an older woman who was comfortable in her skin, Rajini faced a lot of abuse from men and women for not acting her age.

Apparently for some netizens, Poornima Indrajith, who is just past 40, is also too old for shorts and a strappy top. While many said she was an inspiration, some bullied her for not dressing in an age-appropriate manner. While we are increasingly exposed to older women in Bollywood and in the west dressing in any manner they feel comfortable or stylish, should we still be caught up with notions of “age appropriateness” with our celebrities?
Speaking about the “unexpected” reaction to the pictures, Rajini Chandy had pointed out that she had always lived her life to the full and used to wear shorts and swimsuits “even before the people who made the negative comments were born”. The actor, who has mostly portrayed an energetic, playful older woman in films, said the shoot was meant to be a motivation for elderly people. Telling us the cyber bullying has been hard on her, she said, “Whatever I say will only be seen in a negative light, so I don’t feel I should explain myself anymore.”
Anna Katharina Valayil, whose recently released track, Flames, is a celebration of a woman’s sexuality, says it is high time that society moves away from toxic patterns. “Do you know what it is like to be 68? I don’t even know what it is to be 36; I’m just practising my values and do what I feel is right. Rajini Chandy looks great and Poornima is showing her daughters how to own their bodies,” says the singer.

She points out that she has taken care of her body so she can have the confidence to stand in front of a camera in a glamorous avatar. “I have earned it. It is only when we feel self-love we can do this; it’s not easy to put yourself under scrutiny. Do you think anyone would do it for publicity? And the holy books say it is only the body that ages, not the soul. So why should we not give space to our youthful soul?” asks Anna, adding “denims are age-free anyway”.
Celebrity designer Diya John agrees that self-love is important to carry off a bold look. “Come on, we are in 2021, and it is now all about embracing people’s personalities. I anyway think one should accept one’s body,” she says. The designer points out that in a global environment, people are also dressing for practicality and notes that now when even older people travel abroad, they shift out of their traditional clothes without feeling any unnecessary embarrassment about it.

“Much of it is about confidence. Even when I wear deep necks or strappy tops, my friends will say, ‘we wish we could carry it off like you do’, but surprisingly, they might have a much better figure than me. Our attitudes towards dressing come from how we are conditioned. As a designer, while I feel people can wear what they are confident in, I think some looks don’t feel appropriate to others because we lack a sense of styling here, that people in, say Mumbai, have an innate awareness about,” she says.
TV anchor Ranjini Haridas, who has always been known for her sense of style, says that detractors can say anything, but Rajini Chandy inspired her to hit the gym again. Pointing to the actresses of the 70s, like Seema and Jayabharathi, who used to wear miniskirts, she says the Malayali sensibility seems to have regressed. There is also a negative bias against celebrities and “those who seem well off”.

“People are just trying to find ways to throw stones at them and the easiest thing is to criticise the way they dress. I appreciated the fact that Rajini Chandy said that when this photoshoot came up, she checked with her husband and he said she could do what she was comfortable with. Why should anyone else’s opinion matter?” she asks.
Rajini Chandy pics courtesy: @athirasphotography