Amala Akkineni writes a powerful open letter
Indian news channels went berserk giving the untimely death of superstar Sridevi a blanket coverage. Some came under heavy fire after they foolishly tried to reconstruct the final moments of Sridevi after the postmortem report claimed she died of accidental drowning in her bathtub in her Dubai hotel room. In the wall to wall coverage of the tragic passing of the movie icon, a section of media even debated over her life choices, including how she managed to look so young and glamorous even at 54.
Not just Sridevi, all celebrities come under heavy social pressure to look as flawless as they look on the big screen. They are not allowed to show any signs of aging forcing them to make some life-defining cosmetic choices.
Actor Amala Akkineni has written an open letter lamenting the drawbacks of the stardom where she is not allowed to enjoy the luxury of “aging gracefully”. “Will you let me stop colouring my hair, let me wear it short, without referring to my long tresses in Pushpak, at 19? The bad hair days get captured, not the wisdom I carry, and that’s demoralizing. Surely cameras can show the depth of a person and not just the surface?,” Amala writes about the social pressure she is under to look always young.
She goes on to rue, “You have caught me in a time warp, a cage of fame, while my spirit is free. Allow me a life, some privacy, to engage with humanity and the universe, with purpose, truth, compassion and some respect for those now gone.”
Here is the full text of her letter:
Will you let me age gracefully?
Will you let me age gracefully without needing to comment on how tired I look or the weight I have gained?
The shadows under my eyes are from reading glass lines and freckles change to age spots everyday.
Will you let me dress without feeling low self esteem that I am not size zero anymore, nor that I wear the season’s couture?
A washed handloom engulfs me providing market to the looms, comfortably accommodating menopause.
Will you let me stop colouring my hair, let me wear it short, without referring to my long tresses in Pushpak, at 19?
The bad hair days get captured, not the wisdom I carry, and that’s demoralizing. Surely cameras can show the depth of a person and not just the surface?
Will you let me discuss meaningful things without interrupting the flow with questions on how I cook or what the season’s latest gossip demands?
My inner being thrives on accomplishing things that make a difference, things I seek to complete before my physical form is put to rest.
Will you let me walk through my day with peace and calm without the endless messages to attend events teeming with emptiness?
I need to complete life’s mission, but I can’t if my head spins in endless carousels, important to you, no doubt.
Will you free me of the box office madness, the TRP wars, Page 3, the likes, the comments, the traps that menacingly surround everything we do?
You have caught me in a time warp, a cage of fame, while my spirit is free.
Allow me a life, some privacy, to engage with humanity and the universe, with purpose, truth, compassion and some respect for those now gone.
Amala Akkineni
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