This might not go down too well with a few women groups and activists in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to senior journalist Karthigaichelvan of Puthiya Thalaimurai on the show ‘Agni Paritchai’, Congress leader and celebrated actor Khushbu has said that cinema does not inspire violence against women, and it only shows heroes chasing women for their love in ‘nice and positive’ ways.
While accepting that movies do show heroes chasing women incessantly, she said that they don’t show heroes stabbing, maiming or killing women.
In recent months, especially in the aftermath of the Swathi murder case in Chennai, Tamil cinema has come under immense criticism for encouraging stalking. A petition has also been started asking the film industry to be responsible in its portrayal of women.
Here is a translation of what Khushbu said on Puthiya Thalaimurai.
When asked about stalking in cinema and its impact on society, she said,
“I accept that movies show men in love with women, chasing them and stalking them, but does it happen in any movie that when the woman tells the hero that she does not love him, the hero stabs and kills her, throws acid over his face or harms her in any way? No. Till the girl says yes, only nice and positive ways are used by him, he doesn’t force her.”
When asked if cinema should be held more responsible in the matter because of its sheer reach and influence, she said,
“We have to blame someone for our failures over an issue. That is cinema. As a society, we are failing, that is true, no one would disagree that. Instead of seeing where we fail, where we have lost out, the easiest thing to do is blame it on cinema.”
When asked if cinema should not be used as a medium to call out killings over inter-caste or inter-religious marriage, she said,
“There are documentaries for it. How many people watch them? Cinema is an exaggerated world. If everything which happens in cinema is taken seriously, then every movie, small or big, has the message that finally the hero always wins, the good will win over the bad – why don’t people take home that message?”
Watch the full interview here