| Playing the 'dumb' card |
n n priyanka bhadani
Some find him affable and some annoying, but you just can't ignore Rahul Mahajan. Whether it is his alleged doping case or his lavish wedding with Shweta, his "marriage being on the rocks", affair with Monica Bedi (or Payal Rohatgi), Rahul has been in the news. The real TRP-booster of the reality show Bigg Boss 2, during a conversation with Monica Bedi compared both his "on-screen link-ups" (Monica and Payal Rohatgi) saying that "dumb women are easier to handle", probably pointing towards Monica. When Monica was evicted from the house, he seemed "worried" about Monica (as she was according to him "dumb"), but allegedly said that Payal was smart enough to find her way out of the link-up.
While Rahul managed to get many women activists angry, the statement reinforced the fact many men feel that a not-so-intelligent woman is not threatening, thus easier to handle.
Psychologist Deepali Kapoor, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, says that the statement is completely inaccurate. "Women have always proved their mettle in whichever field they have worked. In that respect, Rahul's statement is completely wrong," says Dr Kapoor.
Actor Ketaki Dave, who was also a participant in the show and observed Rahul's activities closely, agrees. "Rahul has a misconception that he is very smart and he has the right to comment on everything. Still he prefers to be with dumb women, probably because he always wants to be the dominating one," says Ketaki.
Amber Gupta, area manager with a medicine company, confesses that he also thought like Rahul a few years back.
"I felt that I had got married to a 'dumb' woman and that she would be perfect wife material," says Amber, who belongs to a conservative middle-class family where women are encouraged to be just housewives and constantly under male supervision. "I got married to a simple girl, who could handle household chores well. I never dreamt of a smart bombshell. But I never thought that my wife's dumbness would lead me to so much trouble," says Amber, who now believes that it is easier to live life if you have a "smart" spouse.
He adds that he was constantly burdened because his wife never had the confidence to take the right decisions.
Amit Jha, an executive with the Bank of America, believes that Rahul Mahajan is wrong in underestimating a woman's intelligence.
"Today, women know how to live life to the fullest. And they have emerged as the new decision makers while men are reduced to mere spectators," says Amit.
He further adds, "However dumb a woman portrays herself, secretly she knows how to turn the tables."
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