Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India's Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence

by Shrayana Bhattacharya

Did I smile too much? The honour of the family revolves around the virtuous woman. When a woman becomes a wife, there are new dynamics around jealousy and men’s ownership of their wives’ bodies. The moment a woman steps out, you are signalling something to the world, that you have broken with tradition. And in such highly sexually segregated societies, I find this preoccupation with women’s bodies just astounding and unchanging. In a way, there is no similar obsession with men’s bodies. Men’s bodies are supposed to be healthy and productive, but no one polices them the same way.’ Privileged women are often those who exercise complete control over their bodies and how they spend their time.