In an age where gender is not supposed to interfere with opportunities, Calcutta seems to feel otherwise. How else do you justify the unwritten law banning billboards featuring women in lingerie? I have been verbally told that this is to prevent accidents from happening on the roads “because men will be men”, and because of this condition, their male gaze shall hone in on these skimpily clad women on the hoardings and bam…there’s the hit you never want.

But, for ever and ever, we have had these chocolate-faced hunks in nothing but glorious briefs, beaming down at us from giant hoardings in this very city of joy. One fella even had his complete, supposedly delicious self, covered with bright red kisses. Another was nonchalantly ignoring his swooning women, in nothing but briefs.

As a woman who also drives a car in Calcutta I am expected to not be affected by any of these hoardings with men in almost their birthday suits. Nor distracted or disturbed, not even mildly curious, since if I were to be curious, I would certainly have a head-on collision! Or does my life not matter?

The authorities are also forgetting that lots of men like men. I am sure many of them also drive.

But women in bras appear in English newspapers, and on prime time TV, perhaps because no man is in no position to drive a car within his home. Indian language broadsheets, however, favour the ban. Oh, many of them will also not have women in lingerie in their adverts.

The pub city down south, though, very much permits women in lingerie on their hoardings. Maybe there are no cars at all in Bengaluru. Or do they think differently there?

The columnist is the founder-CEO of Necessity-SwatiGautam, a customised brand for brassieres.Contact: necessityswatigautam@gmail.com