Urvashi Rautela chops off hair in solidarity with Iran protesters
What's the story
Amidst the riots and protests in Iran by women triggered by Mahsa Amini's custodial death to assert their independence and freedom of choice, actor Urvashi Rautela has now voiced her support for them. On Monday, she posted an image of her hair being chopped off and mentioned she took this step for Iran's women and Uttarakhand's Ankita Bhandari, who was allegedly murdered in September.
Context
Why does this story matter?
On September 13, 22-year-old Amini was arrested in Tehran for not conforming with Iran's draconian hijab and dress code laws and died on September 16, allegedly due to police brutality. On the other hand, 19-year-old Bhandari was allegedly murdered by an ex-BJP leader's son Pulkit Arya and his two accomplices. Her death has sparked nationwide outrage. Rautela's act, thus, is a mark of defiance.
Post
'A global symbol for women's revolution': Rautela
Rautela wrote in her Instagram post, "Chopped my hair off! Cutting my hair in support of Iranian women and girls who have been killed in protests at the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by Iranian morality police & for all the other girls. And for 19-year-old girl my Ankita Bhandari from Uttarakhand (sic)." She called it "a global symbol for women's revolution."
On feminism
Rautela further explained the act's larger, deeper impact on feminism
In her long post, the Sanam Re actor further explained the significance of cutting hair as a mark of resistance. She wrote, "By chopping off hair...in public, women are showing that they don't care about society's beauty standards and won't let anything or anyone decide how they dress up, behave or live." "Once women come together...feminism will see a new vigor," Rautela added.
Global solidarity
Previously, Priyanka Chopra, Marion Cotillard, Juliette Binoche lent fervid support
Rautela is not the only celebrity to lend her support to the ongoing movement in Iran. Earlier, French actors Marion Cotillard and Juliette Binoche, Swedish lawmaker Abir Al-Sahlani, and Turkish Singer Melek Mosso also scissored their locks in a similar manner. Priyanka Chopra, too, wrote on Instagram recently, "The voices that speak after ages of forced silence will rightfully burst like a volcano!"