A Contemporary Photoshoot On Body Shaming “Entities” By Yukti Holds A Stunning Mirror To Humanity

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Sindhuja Iyer

Introduction To Everything Wrong With Humanity:

Comments Passed: “Hey there! What do you have stored in your camel hump?”

A picture speaks a thousand words is the adage we all grew up hearing. But, Yukti Bhagchandani has redefined this phrase with pictures that scream out a million untold stories. Stories of suppression, typecasting, body shaming, and everything that lies underneath the glitz and glam of the world we live in. Remove the cosmetic touch-up of our life, and we see the harsh hurting realities. From creams that promise to turn you a few shades lighter, to the ones that promise to help you get rid of the carvings of your struggle and success on your body.

“Women, for too long, have let the world’s judgments on their physical appearance overpower their sense of self-worth. They have stood in front of the mirror alone scrutinising their bodies endlessly, unable to find comfort in their skin. This project was an attempt to help them learn to embrace their perfect imperfections and to accept themselves wholly.” says Yukti Bhagchandani, hoping that her photoseries will bring about a necessary change.

They laughed and joked, “She’s from the labourers clan.”

Yukti And Her Observations On What Goes Wrong:

We live in a world that tells women every day to keep a track on the body hair that needs to go missing to the scalp that’s missing a few strands of hair, cute and perfect is what we expect women to be, but prettier than whom and perfect by what standard, decides who? Well, the debate is endless, and the stories of the silenced women in these struggles, a million.

Yukti Bhagchandani brings to light these amazing flaws in women that make them real, pretty, and perfect in every sense, rather than the plastic figures that we adorn as dolls on display. In a powerful photo series she passes on a bold commentary on the double standards and judgments of the wonderful society we live in where women are shamed for being lean or bulky, hairy or bald, curvy or slim, birthmarks and pimples, dark circles, and flabby thighs, the list is endless.

My first boyfriend cringed away from holding my right hand because of my birthmark.

The photo series capture the true essence of how the hypocritical society that we live in manages to squeeze in the thoughts of pseudo-feminism with oppressive statements that we have all learned to accept as the norms of the society. A true eye-opener, this work of art by Yukti is something that every independent, real woman would relate to in this age and time!

Other Stirring Abusive Yet True Captures Include:

“Hey, I agree that curves are in demand, but you don’t need to develop extra ones out there!”

“When I was in school and my friends saw my birthmark for the first time, they got scared and started gasping. I ran to the bathroom as soon as I reached home that day and put soap on it and kept rubbing it till my skin turned red.”

One day I broke my tooth and stopped opening my mouth to laugh. Another day I stopped looking at my face in the mirror when someone saw my pimples and commented, “Pimples are a sign of a dirty mind you know!”

When I wore a headband to school for the first time, a friend from across the hall shouted out, “Damn, your forehead is all that is visible in your entire face! You might want to cover that thing up with bangs.”

“Oh, I am not going to get playful with her. She’s got ‘em heavy wrestlers’ arms!”

Follow the whole series in the most gripping manner here. Kudos to Yukti to come out with such a brave initiative. Here’s hoping that this photo series will be a start to all the change we so desire and more importantly deserve.