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Recently, a video of teenager Gaurav Sitoula caught a lot of attention online for his dance on Moti Se Na Heeron Se ( Khudgarz, 1987) for all things good and not so good. Even in 2022, most popular memes on social media targetted individuals who defy the age-old ways of society. On International Men’s Day today, we talk to influencers Ankush Bahuguna, Jainil Mehta, Jake Sitlani, who have often challenged the notions of masculinity.
Ankush Bahuguna, who is 29, not only wears
makeup (something that gets many men uncomfortable), but is also flamboyant with his fashion sense. “For the longest time, we have defined masculinity by everything that’s not feminine. That’s how men like to celebrate their masculinity and that needs to change. Before thinking of what makes you a man, you should try
to be a better human being. I think masculinity needs to be a lot more tolerant,” Bahuguna opines, adding, “Being a man is being unapologetic about who you are, irrespective of whether you fit in the box or not. It’s just embracing the kind of man you
are. No two people are alike.
So, that box should just be thrown away. If you identify as a man, nobody can tell you that you
are not man enough.”