Innocence lost?

Thylane Blondeau appeared in a photo spread of an international fashion magazine in its December 2010-January 2011 edition all dolled up in high-fashion clothes and expensive jewellery.
The spread caused quite a controversy because she, along with two other young girls, preened and pouted like adults in all their subtle sexuality. Parents and child rights groups in America have issues with the photos, saying it’s wrong to sexualise and exploit a child in this manner.
Closer home, while we still haven’t resorted to exposing our kids to such sexualised imagery, there does seem to be a debate over what a child artiste in the glamour industry should or should not be allowed to do. Take the case of Hansika Motwani, who started off as a child artiste on a TV show followed by a movie where she played a young girl who is raped. At 16, she starred as the then thirty-something Himesh Reshammiya’s love interest in Aap Kaa Surroor.
More recently, there’s the case of 10-year-old Saloni, who gained popularity on a children’s TV show before going on to act opposite much senior actors in another comedy show — one that’s known as much for its double entendres and spoofs as it is for its cross-dressing actors. The show may be popular, funny even, but is it really okay to have a child mouthing off inappropriate dialogues and playing characters twice her age? Are we providing paedophile fodder by letting kids be photographed like Thylane, or exploiting Saloni by allowing her to be part of such TV shows? Are parents forcing their unaccomplished ambitions on their children and are we all party to this? BT explores the issue.
Anjali Chhabria, Clinical psychologist
Everything seems sexualised today, be it Barbie, children aping the dance steps of Sheila and Munni, or dressing up like their favourite actresses. Looking good has been replaced by looking sexy, triggering a loss of innocence in young minds. Today, kids are treated as sexual objects and as a result, their personalities get warped at an early age. Ideally, a child should be allowed to make their own decisions when they turn 18, but the demands of the new market are such that the freshness and innocence of the young attract more money.
Lubna Adams, Choreographer
If one uses young models to promote clothing for a particular age, that’s fine. But if they are used to promote fashion for adults, then it is just a publicity stunt. Model-turned-actress Brooke Shields started out as a teenager too, but the difference was she didn’t look like a child. But to have a child as young as 10 posing and pouting like an adult model is strange. This is where the problem arises; kids grow up faster and their innocence is lost. I would never allow my kids to be subjected to such content or even model like this.
Yogesh Kamdar, Human Rights activist
Children are vulnerable and need protection. They should not be used as commodities or sexual objects. When a contract for such a project is made, parents sign on behalf of the minor. It is the negligence, greed, and lack of responsibility on the part of parents that let things like this happen. In this case, the mother allowed her child to be exploited, so you can’t really hold the magazine or the photographer responsible. In our country, there is a legal requirement that only after the age of 18 can one sign a legal contract.
Hansika Motwani, Actress
When I started out, I never struggled and consulted my mother in whatever I did. I wasn’t allowed to shoot post 9 pm or work long hours. My mother chose my films, but my opinion was always taken into consideration. Moreover, my parents were always around when I was shooting. By the time I turned 18, my mother trusted me enough to make informed choices. Jaago was a controversial film — depicting a true life incident of a young girl who is raped on a train — and I was just 10 at the time. My mother asked me whether I wanted to do the film. I knew things like this happen, so I was okay with it.
Samir Daini, Child artiste Saloni’s father
We identified Saloni’s talent at an extremely young age. She was just three when she started acting (with Amol Palekar in Doom Kata), but was nearly seven when she started participating in a comedy show. She would shoot for 10 days, usually on weekends, and two episodes would be shot each day (eight hours in total). The contract was signed by us on her behalf. She has never cracked any vulgar, or double-meaning jokes on the show.