In what can only be termed as sadistic, the widely watched TV show Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 2, saw a contestant applying chilli paste in the eyes of another housemate. Rajith Kumar, who is a popular contestant and well-known misogynist, has been temporarily removed from the show for physically harming Reshma Rajan, a model.
The incident happened during the 66th episode of the show which requires contestants to stay inside a house without contact with the outside world. They are given various challenges and activities on course of the show and usually face an elimination every week. In this episode, the contestants were given the task of acting like school children and teachers.
Reshma was playing a schoolchild who celebrates her birthday in school. While other housemates wished her and gave her chocolates, Rajith pretended to bless her but applied chilli paste in her eyes. His actions deserve to be condemned even more because Reshma had previously had an infection in her cornea and had gone out of the Bigg Boss house to take treatment for her eyes. She had returned recently after the treatment.
After Rajith applied the chilli paste, Reshma cried out in pain. A doctor checked her eyes and she was shifted to a hospital for further treatment. Though Rajith apologised to Bigg Boss, the invisible voice who controls the house, he was temporarily removed from the show as punishment.
However, there are reports that Rajith might get arrested as what he did is a crime.
Sunitha Devadas, a journalist who reviews Bigg Boss episodes on Asianet News, claimed that Rajith's move against Reshma was intentional and planned. "He thinks that Reshma deserved an assault like this. There are reasons for it. Reshma had declared that she did not want to have children or get married. She spoke loudly and firmly about her opinions. She is a woman who smoked with men. She scornfully reacted to Rajith's theories and classes. We have heard some elderly people saying that chilli paste should be applied on such women. Rajith is an advocate of those orthodox beliefs," she alleged.
Rajith Kumar, a Botany teacher by profession, is known for his misogynistic speeches. In the past, he's been heard making ridiculous and highly insensitive statements like: "Women should not jump as their uterus might get displaced', "Women who wear jeans will give birth to transgender persons", and 'Rebellious parents will give birth to autistic children".
Jazla Madasseri, another contestant who was on the show until recently, alleged in her Facebook post that someone had harmed her physically during a task, which was intolerable to her. Though she did not name Rajith in her post, she hinted that it was him, and said that she was not able to sleep or eat for about two weeks after the incident.