Are women injurious to mental peace?
When this question is being asked to the guests at the pre-release function of a movie, it’s safe to say that one shouldn’t expect much of the event itself.
But when one of the answers to the question is, “Women are fit for sleeping with men,” the event has clearly hit a new low.
This is exactly what transpired at an audio launch event for the upcoming Telugu film Ra Randoi Veduka Chudham, which translates to ‘Come, let’s watch the spectacle’. The movie is produced by Nagarjuna, and stars his son Naga Chaitanya. Rakul Preet Singh plays the female lead. For some strange reason, the tagline of the film is ‘Ammayilu manashantike hanikaram’, which means ‘Women are injurious to mental peace.’
A video doing the rounds of the audio release shows the woman anchor asking veteran actor Chalapathi Rao the big question: “Are women injurious to mental peace?”
To which the actor replied, “Women are not injurious to mental peace, they’re fit for sleeping with men.”
The male anchor of the show immediately called it a ‘super comment’, and there was laughter all around. The anchor then went on to say that the ‘debate’ had been ‘settled’ with this one comment.
In attendance were the stars of the movie - Naga Chaitanya and Rakul Preet Singh - and while Rakul can be seen looking amused, Naga Chaitanya was laughing hard. While it isn’t clear whether their reactions were to this comment, or were edited into the video later, neither of them decided to speak out at the event.
For once, the actors involved have come out to condemn the comments of Chalapathi Rao - although, the reactions came only after they were called out for not speaking out against the actor’s vulgar comments.
Nagarjuna, the producer of the film and a veteran actor himself, tweeted on Tuesday: “I always respect women personally and in my films. I definitely do not agree with Chalapathi Rao's derogatory comments. Dinosaurs do not exist!!”
I always respect women personally and in my films/I definitely do not agree wt Chalapati rao's derogatory comments/dinosaurs do not exist!!
— Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) May 23, 2017
Taking to Twitter, Rakul Preet Singh claimed that she hadn’t understood what the Chalapathi Rao had said at the event, and condemned his comment in no uncertain terms.
Apologies 4 a late response 2 #ChalapathiRao comments!wish I understood d exact meanin of it then.I condemn it n my off stmnt wil b out soon
— Rakul Preet (@Rakulpreet) May 23, 2017
A statement released by Rakul says, “Also, she felt that he being a senior member in Telugu Film Fraternity, must know his age and behave accordingly. Such comments would bring a negative shade to people who are close to him. People of his stature represent the industry and newcomers may feel low if such events were to do rounds around the film circles.”
The statement added: “Beginners like her most of the times choose to remain silent out of respect for the seniors, but this occasion cannot be one of those and seniors should also know where to draw the line in scenarios like this.”
#respectwomen pic.twitter.com/mXYZCvMPwI
— Rakul Preet (@Rakulpreet) May 23, 2017
Meanwhile, Naga Chaitanya clarified that they were not laughing at the comments during the show. He wrote: “Respecting women is a way of life for me. The reactions shown on TV weren't for the statement made. Do I agree with it? Absolutely NOT!”
Respecting women is a way of life for me.The reactions shown on TV weren't for the statement made.Do I agree with it ?Absolutely NOT !
— chaitanya akkineni (@chay_akkineni) May 23, 2017
Chalapathi Rao though has decided to brazen it out. Reacting to the controversy around his comment, the actor wondered “why the media feels what I said is so wrong.”
"Can you even ask that question? What does 'women being injurious to mental peace' even mean? Do we sleep with snakes? No. That's why I said women are harmless and that's why we sleep with them. I don't even know why the media feels what I said is so wrong. Some channel, which does not know Telugu, published it and everyone else spread it again and again like cancer. I have never put women down. We look at women like mothers and sisters with respect always. Jai Mahila Lokam," the actor said in a video.