After cricketer Virat Kohli stunned the world with his rude middle finger gesture in Australia, it’s now pace bowler Ishant Sharma’s turn to face criticism. With news reports of Ishant showing his middle finger to fans during the already troubled tour of Australia, experts say celebs need to watch their actions.
Etiquette expert Pria Warrick says, “Nobody has understood the expression of middle finger in India. A decades old concept, its understanding varies in different parts of the world. Not only is it uncouth, unacceptable but I believe celebrities don’t need to resort to such trivialties. When Virat did it, I guess he wanted the Australians to understand his anger. Body language holds different meaning in different parts of the world. You wouldn’t see Ishant showing middle finger here.”
But is this gesture fast emerging as the quickest way to silence rude fans? Are we losing our cool easily and are our celebs abiding by the old saying, ‘Actions speak louder than words’?
Lifestyle management expert at Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon, Dr Rachna K. Singh says, “Rude gesture, inappropriate behaviour is out of the norm of our Indian culture. Such gestures are okay within closed doors but are not appreciated in public. Celebrities have a big responsibility and need to set the right example to their fans.”
However, HR consultant Banhi Dutta feels there’s nothing new about such gestures and abusive behaviour. “If the young players are giving tit for tat, why is there so much ruckus? Also, if you’re asking why Virat and Ishant showed middle finger, it was because they were abused verbally, but that wasn’t recorded or shown to the world.”
Cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that it’s not okay to behave in such a manner and certainly not on a public platform. He says, “You may be frustrated, pushed into the corner, but showing middle finger is just not acceptable. With remarkable seniors such as M.S. Dhoni, V.V.S. Lakshman, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in the dressing room, taking a leaf out of their behaviour book would be more worthy. Young cricketers need to refrain from crossing the line.”