One of India’s most popular beauty queens recently faced her through a storm on social media.
In 1994, Sushmita Sen became the first Indian to be crowned Miss Universe, before succeeding in securing her a place as a star in the air of Indian films – Bollywood.
Sean, 46, has acted in about 30 films. And her last participation so far was in the series “Aria”, which was admired by the masses, and also won the praise of critics.
Sen is seen as a “strong woman”, often described as charismatic and intelligent, and has won a number of major film awards.
But everything Sen has achieved seems to have been forgotten since last Thursday night when Lalita Modi announced on social media that he has a relationship with Sen, which opens up an avalanche of sarcasm and crude and misogynistic jokes.
Modi (58) is a businessman and founder of the Indian Premier League, the world’s richest cricket competition. Modi is also a public figure. His name made headlines after the Cricket Board of India accused him of involvement in financial scandals, which Modi denies.
Modi spent the last ten years of his life in London.
Modi published a bouquet of romantic photos taken of him with Sushmita Sen during vacations they spent together in the Maldives and the Italian island of Sardinia.
He initially described Modi Sen as his “beautiful half”, and then spread rumors of his marriage to her before changing the script to “My Pretty Partner”.
The death left Modi’s wife, who is thirty years old, in 2018 after suffering from cancer. In his relationship with Sen, Modi saw “the beginning of a new life in which he feels very happy”, as he put it.
In the course of the Thursday night that Modi announced his relationship with Sean, the internet went up in flames. Before long, news sites came online and congratulatory messages started pouring in.
The pioneers of social networking sites began commenting on the news by highlighting the age difference, criticizing Modi for his appearance and describing him as a “refugee”.
But the lion’s share of the comments went to Sen – to become the most popular name on social media platforms, as many described her as “greedy” and “looking for gold” and that she was dating Modi for his money.
Among Sen’s critics was Bengali writer and activist Taslima Nasreen who questioned why Sen was interested in someone who was “not attractive at all”.
“Because he is so rich, Sen sells herself to him for money,” Nasreen said.
“This kind of remark is very problematic,” wrote Namita Bhandar, editor-in-chief of the gender news website Article14.
But Bhandar added: “What has happened, however, is bad news for every woman, because it seems that it is easy to blame the woman and point the finger at the woman.”
photo released, Getty Images
Sushmita Sen was the first Indian to win the Miss Universe title
It was not entirely unexpected what interest the relationship aroused; It’s because of Sen’s fame that each of her steps is important to trackers, activists, as well as journalists.
Sean made her “unconventional” life choices a topic of discussion on news sites.
Barely twenty-four years old, a few years after being crowned Miss Universe, Sen decided to adopt a daughter and describe herself as a “single mother.” A few years later, Sen adopted another daughter. She regularly posted photos of herself with the two girls.
Sen has never tried to hide her relationships over the years, and she went out with her friends who are actors, the last of whom was Rohman Chal, with whom Sen broke up last year.
But, as the author Behendar points out, the news about Sen’s appointments never got past the tabloids with artist news and gossip columns.
Modi did not expect his relationship with Sen to gain such momentum on social media platforms across India.
However, Sushmita Sen also received a lot of support through social media. Many defended her by noting that she had previously dated men who did not have much money, but no one described these men as gold diggers.
But as extremist and hyper-intrusive comments continued to seep into her private affairs by making jokes and questioning her motives – and sharing them not only on social media but also on WhatsApp – Sen forced her to take to Instagram on Sunday -position to respond.
Sen said: “It’s heartbreaking to see how miserable the world around us has become! … Friends I’ve never met, acquaintances I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting … All of they spread deep opinions about my life and character … “
Sen’s post aroused sympathy for her. “WhatsApp jokes and comments are disgusting,” says Bhandar. “Their owners practice an old custom that makes mockery of women permissible.”
“But Sen’s response was very mature. She expressed her love for those who supported her, and also wished strength to those who did not,” Bhandar added.