Telly stars discuss Kama Sutra-devki&sam

We belong to a land that has one of the richest history of art and culture. Our ancestors always encouraged creativity in all aspects of life. In fact, we're home to some of the most fascinating concepts and texts in the world. One of them being Vatsyayana's 'Kama Sutra, the ancient Indian text on human sexual behaviour.

But look at the irony of our times; on one hand we write about sexuality in its most sophisticated form while on the other our culture considers 'sex' as the biggest taboo. This socio-cultural debate is our chosen topic this time and we get television celebrities talking about this apparent hypocrisy.

Ruhail Amin gets some reactions of TV celebs on why this book known for its scientific approach to human desire is not being appreciated in its place of birth.

Shekhar Suman

I think it is because sexuality is still a taboo in India. On the personal front, people love to discuss Kamasutra. Married couples and lovers actually follow it with profound interest; though they refuse to openly accept it. As a community we all speak about it in a hush-hush manner. Unless this hypocrisy is addressed, things are going to remain the same. Let's hope things change in the future.

Moonmoon

The reason for it being a taboo is because of the social inhibitions. We still consider Kamasutra as a book that encourages the wrong thing. The perception in the west is just the opposite, that's why they can appreciate it better than us. I find it extremely contradictory when we belong to a land where Kamasutra was written and yet feel ashamed of discussing sex.

Sachin Verma

We suffer from a low pride in our art and culture. That's why we consider it a taboo. We wait for the westerners to approve of it before we can own it. That is one of the main reasons for our unacceptance of our own literature. We should take pride in the fact that our history of broad-mindedness dates back to thousands of years.

Shweta Salve

Though, I haven't read the book, but I guess the reason for Kamasutra being a taboo is our hypocrisy. We're not ready to accept our sexuality openly as it is considered a breach of decency.

Sumit Sachdev

I would say, it's because of extreme bigotry. We are still trapped in the dark ages when it comes to discussing sex. Kamasutra was a book that has been acclaimed for its scientific approach to human desire. It's so sad to see it not being appreciated in its place of birth.

Tina Parekh

We are a land of rich culture and tradition. Yoga , Ayurveda and Kamasutra are integral to our cultural values.Somehow, the reason for Kamasutra being a taboo subject is because our culture no longer considers sex as a natural expression of love and desire. Instead it is equated with licentiousness.

cheers

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