Those criticising Kani Kusruti for her lipstick have got it all wrong

Kani wore a navy blue shirt and trousers to the function, a neckpiece, red lipstick and left her long straight hair loose.
Actor Kani Kusruti
Actor Kani Kusruti
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A day after she received the Kerala State award for Best Female Actor, Kani Kusruti wrote a post about the lipstick she wore for the function. She chose to wear the universal red lipstick of the cosmetic brand Fenty Beauty launched by singer-songwriter Rihanna. This, Kani wrote, was her reply to those who asked her, “Sheesh, you wore lipstick?” which in Malayalam is a crude ‘ayye, lipstick itto?’

Kani wore a navy blue shirt and trousers to the function, a neckpiece, red lipstick and left her long straight hair loose. She spoke about naming the Best Female Actor award after PK Rosy, the first woman actor in Malayalam cinema who was chased away by a casteist society because she was a person from a Dalit community who chose to act. When there was criticism against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s decision to give away the awards after placing them on a table to follow COVID-19 protocol, Kani commented that it was an appreciable move since it would keep everyone safe. 

Both her lipstick and her remark didn’t go down well. 

A few months ago, Kani had written on her Facebook page against a Malayalam magazine which edited her photo for an interview, to make it “fairer”. Many people appear to have taken this to mean that Kani did not like makeup. Correction. She said nothing about makeup but about the magazine’s use of a photo editor to alter her looks. 

After photos of the award function came out, there were critics to point out that she wore lipstick when she had spoken against “makeup”. Kani did not try to correct them but put the post about Rihanna’s brand of lipstick.

“For people who are genuinely interested in reading what this universal red lip stick stands for, here is one link,” she wrote and quoted from a story that appeared on buzzfeednews.com. 

“Historically, darker-skinned black women have been derided for wearing red lipstick. As recently as 2013, the rapper A$AP Rocky, while on tour with Rihanna, was criticized for telling the lifestyle site the Coveteur that “You have to be fair skinned to get away with” wearing red lipstick. The message often is that black women’s lips — a body part that is simultaneously ridiculed and sexualized — are meant to be downplayed, not highlighted with red.”

Kani is not new to criticisms of her many choices in life. For photos, posts and stands she has expressed, Kani has often been ridiculed with comments, bordering on the abusive. Even for the Rihanna post there are scores of comments teasing her for having an attitude about every topic. 

What her critics, impatient to leave "sarcastic wits" all about them, refuse to have is respect for personal choice. It is a fairly simple concept but can be broken down to smaller pieces. For example, Kani may say no to a photo edit and still choose to wear makeup. Another person may say yes to a photo edit. Both are a matter of personal choice. You may agree, disagree, go do as you please with your opinion, but it is not anyone else’s business how they choose to present themselves. It is their lives and if you try, you will get one too. 

Only days ago, aged actor Rajini Chandy was mocked all over social media for choosing to dress up in modern clothes for a photo shoot. She wore jeans and shirts, dresses and short skirts and struck stylish poses for her photographer. One short of 70, she is of the same age as Mammootty, a much-admired male superstar in Malayalam cinema. It might be unfair to keep pulling him for no fault of his, but fans and haters make it hard not to. Months ago, during the lockdown, when he posted a picture of himself wearing a sleeveless t-shirt after a workout, the photo was shared and appreciated across the internet by co-actors and fans alike. They wrote what an inspiration he is. Rajini Chandy, also a regular at the gym, did not receive quite the same response. There were appreciatory messages for keeping herself fit at this age - mostly from women. You will do yourself good if you stop reading as soon as you spot one, for there were too many of the other kind - cruel, hurtful messages asking her if she was not dead yet. 

Chandy reacted in her way, gave a few more interviews, but then had enough. Kani had learnt the art much earlier. What can hurt an abuser more than knowing that no one acknowledged, cared or even knew of what they said or did.

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