A new cover picture of a Toronto-based magazine has left a few people disgruntled by the way a 'Tamil Bride' has been portrayed.
Jodi Bridal Show, is a South-Asian bridal magazine that caters particularly to Indians who live in Canada.
The cover has model Thanuska Subramaniam sitting on a chair decorated with flowers, in traditional wedding attire. The slit in the saree has drawn sharp reactions.
"Please show me somewhere where a legitimate Tamil bride dresses like this... way to make a mockery of our culture," says one comment on Facebook.
The post opened a floodgate of angry comments which tagged it as a disgrace and insult on Tamil tradition.
Check out the comments below:
"This not a Tamil Bride, this is too much! Yes Olden days ladies did not wear blouse, did they expose themselves like this?! We have come far away, keeping your culture is one of the way to show your identity!!! This not how a Tamil Bride dress (sic)."" wrote one reader.
Thanuska Subramaniam, the model in the picture said,“There is so much Tamil female talent that was behind this cover. It’s sad that all those people who had negative things to say about the cover, didn’t want to acknowledge that aspect behind it. (sic)"
There were others who defended the cover, saying there was nothing wrong with and that a mere picture cannot 'destroy' an entire culture. One reader aptly points out, " you can't freeze a culture in a moment of time like trapping an insect in amber. Cultures evolve and change and adapt and diverge."
"Instead of admiring the beauty and hard work behind this, people choose to focus on ONE THING instead of the bigger picture. So exposing ones legs is seen as not Tamil? This is a gorgeous shot and I'm so happy to know everyone behind this," says a Facebook user.
Another writes, "A case of some Tamils minding the gap a little too much it seems. Get over yourselves; you can't freeze a culture in a moment of time like trapping an insect in amber. Cultures evolve and change and adapt and diverge. #factoflife."
The magazine says the theme of the issue is - "Be bold. Be the change." And while its editors say they are happy that the cover has started a discussion, they add that bullying of any kind isn't acceptable.
"This cover stands for more than beauty and Tamil culture. Not only is it art, it's an expression of feminism," says the magazine's team on Facebook. "A princess bride can be bold, regal, whimsical or romantic. In other words, there are no cookie-cutter brides. If baring your legs in a sari is a cultural juxtaposition, then so be it."
