“I would rather be called a badass than a cultural icon because that is so pretentious. I don’t like labels,” said columnist-novelist Shobhaa De during her debut appearance at the Kolkata Literary Meet at Alipore Museum on Sunday.
Reflecting on a literary career spanning five decades, De also spoke about what independence truly means for women ahead of Republic Day.
“Without money, what decisions can a woman take at any age or stage? It becomes an inhibitory factor for their dreams,” she said, stressing the importance of financial autonomy. “It is important for women to earn their own money. Without financial independence, there cannot be any talk of independence,” De added, before discussing her latest book, The Sensual Self.
De recalled that very early on in her career, she was made to feel that women’s voices are rarely heard and that by publishing her, the house was doing her a favour. She turned down what she described as a patronising and humiliating offer, and her debut novel, Socialite Evenings, went on to become a bestseller.
“The question of silence is not an option,” she said. “Today, the environment is different and women are encouraged to speak up. Freedom is precious and indivisible. I want women to be seen, heard and acknowledged beyond whatever age.”
De also spoke about how perceptions of sensuality have both evolved and remained unchanged. “We are still uncomfortable discussing intimacy,” she said, adding that older generations need to adapt to the language of younger people. “We must retrain ourselves to pay attention to their lives with empathy, not judgement.”
Addressing corporate feminism, De said, “It’s not working to give us the changes we desperately crave. Even today, women in corporate spaces have to navigate questions that men never had to.”
Rejecting gendered labels in literature, De stated, “I don’t like being called a woman writer. If Amitav Ghosh walks in, will you call him a male writer? I am just a writer. Women should not be put into boxes.”
Speaking about literary censorship, De said she has never adhered to scripts approved by authority. “I will never tone down my work or compromise on what I have to say. If you don’t want to publish it, I will find 10 other publishers or I will publish it myself,” she said.
The session also saw De opening up about the significance of heartbreaks, her understanding of the word scandal and sensuality in Indian culture. “As a writer, my job is to provoke. If my work has woken up a few, scandalised and shocked many more, I have done my bit,” she said.
De blamed the colonial influence for India’s discomfort with sex. The 78-year-old writer said, “I pin the blame on the Brits. Their attitude to sex is as bland as their food. They pinned their Victorian values on us. Today, we are reclaiming our sensual legacy.”
During the session, De also addressed A.R. Rahman’s recent remarks to BBC Asian Network, where the composer spoke about fewer work opportunities in Bollywood due to an alleged communal bias.
Mumbai is a city for survivors, said the Starry Nights writer. “You’ve got to be feral and watch your back. But there are no caste or religious constraints. Since the inception of Bollywood, we have had stars, directors and even spot boys who have been Muslims,” she said.
“Rahman may have been pushed into saying it. But he apologised and clarified that his remarks had been misconstrued,” De added.