Gilu Joseph, an actor-poet and former cabin crew member in Dubai, who featured on the polarising cover of a South Indian magazine as a mother breastfeeding her baby, has defended her photoshoot and called it her contribution in removing the stigma attached to nursing in public. Her intention was solely noble and aimed at a worthy cause, said Joseph about her first magazine photoshoot in her life.
“I didn’t see anything wrong with what I did … I am trying to take every controversy coming my way in my positive stride …And I don’t regret my decision to be a part of such a noble campaign,” said Joseph in Malayalam, in an interview with Gulf News over the phone from Kerala.
The March cover of Grihalakshmi, a women’s magazine published in Kerala, with the headline ‘Moms tell Kerala - don't stare, we want to breastfeed’ has triggered an uproar after it published the 27-year-old unmarried Joesph staring into the camera with a baby on her chest.
The photoshoot, that has been embraced, praised and lampooned in equal measure, has triggered debates on whether the magazine’s breastfeeding campaign attempts were progressive (Unicef India also tweeted their support and lauded their efforts), tawdry or morally reprehensible.
- Gilu Joseph | Actress and poet
“There are a lot of people who thought I was wrong because of the title or due to my expression. I sincerely wish they would go through the magazine where I have written an article that breastfeeding is absolutely normal and a beautiful thing.
"There’s nothing wrong with it and please let us not reduce my photoshoot as something vulgar. Our soul is so much beyond that. Let’s not lock our body in shame … I am not saying that you should breastfeed in open tomorrow. That was not our message or intention.”
Background
Joseph, who worked in Dubai as a cabin crew member with FlyDubai from 2008 to mid-2017, was born in a small town called Kumily in Idukki district in South East Kerala to a farming family and has featured in several Malayalam films.
Her thirst for adventure and travelling prompted her to pursue a career in aviation.
But the certified scuba diver and a poet quit her job as a Dubai-based cabin crew in mid-2017 to pursue her love for arts, cinema and travel.
“All we meant to do through the photoshoot is to tell every mother that you are doing something beautiful by nursing your young ones. And if at any point, a mother is not able to find a corner to feed your crying child, there’s nothing wrong in feeding them in open,” said Joseph.
Ever since the magazine hit the stands, Joesph, who has also written books, has been facing a severe backlash including being cyber bullied, trolled and brandished an “attention seeker”.
Objections
Her family has also raised objections to her decision to do the photoshoot.
“She’s a brave mother who brought me up beautifully. But some people are considering me as the worst female alive for posing for a photoshoot showing my body part. I am getting a lot of flak, but all those who object are failing to understand my good intentions behind such a campaign.” Her motives are simple: she wants the spread the message that breastfeeding a child is beautiful and wants to normalise it.
“Let us not make it [breastfeeding] reduce it to vulgar activity or sexualise it … I am not saying that you should breastfeed in the open from tomorrow onwards, that was not my message or intention.”
While her friends who know her personally and hundreds of breastfeeding mothers have hailed this landmark photoshoot, some have questioned her decision to pose as a publicity gimmick.
“If that were the case, I could have courted controversy much earlier by being a part of a condom ad. Here, it’s not like I was caught red-handed being a part of a smuggling racket or that I was involved in murder. What wrong have I done here?” said Joseph defiantly. While she is open to opinions and constructive opinions, she wishes that people would ask her why she did it.
“People who say things like that you unbuttoned your shirt and displayed your body part should instead ask me the reason as to why I did the photoshoot. Don’t judge me before that.”
Support
Recounting her experience of filming the cover, she said that the shot that appeared on the cover was taken with both the baby’s biological mother’s presence.
The photographer’s wife was also in the room for support.
“It was my first professional photoshoot … We just had to take the shot when the baby was comfortable. In that gap, that picture was taken.”
Joseph, who plans to explore Lakshwadeep as a part of her wanderlust plans, says everything about the photoshoot boils down to a “person’s gaze”.
“If you are looking at it with sleazy eyes, then it’s your problem. I am not looking at it in that sleazy light ... My only wish is that my mother and family who’s so affected with this become proud of what I did. I hope one day before I die, I will make them proud of what I did."
HAVE YOUR SAY
What is your opinion on this issue? Are social norms and taboos working against motherhood?
Do you think the magazine with its cover has truly managed to bring a serious issue to the fore?
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