Indraneil accused of ‘objectifying women’, reacts

Indraneil Sengupta would’ve never thought that a casual Instagram post with a witty caption could get him in trouble. The actor shared a photo of wife, actor Barkha Sengupta, and captioned it, “Neighbours’ envy, owner’s pride”, and in no time, he was trolled and accused of ‘objectifying women’.

Responding to a comment that read, “Was looking for the leash on her neck from the owner...”, Indraneil wrote, “Hahaha I knew the ‘owner’ would draw some flak, but it’s just a fun use of the popular line.”

He tells us, “The caption was in fact suggested by Barkha herself. She is the woman in the picture and she sees the humour in it. She does it many times; I click pictures and she is witty with captions.”

Given how online bullying is rampant these days, he feels it’s not possible to weigh in on every word you put out on social media. “Everyone has an opinion. It’s a public platform, and one is free to say anything. Just because someone would comment something on our post, doesn’t mean we’re going to think twice and be careful about the next step,” he opines.

Though agreeing that social media has become a toxic place, Indraneil maintains that the couple doesn’t take it too seriously. “There are negatives and positives of social media, and you decide how much impact they can have on you. It’s just a small part of our lives and nothing important,” he says.

But can trolling take on a toll on a person’s mental health? The actor says, “If you want to go for a detox because negativity on social media is affecting your mental health, then that can also be due to various other reasons. So, it’s better to be responsible and know how to moderate your social media usage. There needs to be a certain level of detachment.”

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM Indraneil Sengupta Instagrammed a picture of wife Barkha Sengupta (inset) with the caption, “Neighbours’ envy, owner’s pride”