Maanam Ketta Tamizh Cinema

For sometime, these thoughts have been in my mind. I didn’t want to portray these in any of my blogs as I want to stay secular. Being in this country since my birth, I am quite satisfied with a few things and I am proud of its heritage. But there are few things which have destroyed my nation since its birth in 1947. Communal politics, aggression against women and transgression of human rights. Before going any further with this article, I want to tell a few things/points.

1. Living in India is many times better than any other country in the world.

2. Read history well. Our country hasn’t invaded any other country in human history and the only country in the planet which truly loves peace.

3. India was never meant to be a country as a whole as it is only a Union of erstwhile princely states, but in reality it is nation. It is living every dream! Such countries are tough to administrate and certainly India has developed amidst huge challenges.

4. Every 26th January, India conducts a Republic Day parade. The whole world stuns and watches with amazement. No other country could pull out such amazing variety of lifestyle, culture and uniqueness. Being a union of 28 states and various Union territories, the Indian Union is the most ethnically diverse, multi-linguistic society ever to exist on planet earth. As days go by, my prediction is that culture and values would be respected more than anything else. Critics may say that this is a computer age and people should strip and dance! Even the so called first world countries are returning to our culture and following it religiously. What do you say about that? Maybe not today, but definitely after 20 years Indians would be respected even more and envied of the unity. In other words, we can rather live life for ourselves, not to earn a name from other nations in the world.

The reason why there is no safety of women is because of the Indian Entertainment Industry which is considered great and divine by the present day youths who have succumbed to the luxuries and comforts of life. Generally, there are lots of harsh scenes shown in cinemas. Rape scene, stripping of saree, as the girl yells. This is one thing which should be banned. All these scenes project as if a girl desires for such a pleasure and it pollutes the mind of Indian youth. These entire scenes project that women can be over-powered and that’s what exactly has happened and is happening and with the blessings of the Film industry. So what’s the Union Government of India doing?



The next reason is Pornography. Porn films project women in an offensive manner. It projects as if women are in need of such “pleasures” and as if men are so holy and divine who can do the needful. It projects females as objects. This mindset develops in every human youth and that’s what encourages them to kidnap a college mate, or a colleague to rape her! Almost in my opinion, all Tamil films are pornographic which projects women as a sexual object rather than a human being with emotions. Infact, all films portray them even worse than animals. Too bad that we are all silent criminals and sitting ducks. If Lenin was alive and living, he wouldn’t allow this to be happening. True! Instead of taking birth in Russia, I wish he was born here in India. He would have taken these people for a ride! There would be only one change. I won’t be living as a Brahmin or a Hindu. Infact, there won’t be any religion. But certainly there would be safety for women.

I can’t number the reasons neither can I name all the films as they are replete with superlatives. Another reason is fashion. Nowadays the idea of fashion has got too much into the minds of producers and directors that the popularity and success of films is inversely proportional to the amount of dress in a heroine. The spirit of womanhood is going for a toss! In directly, all these films are nothing but porn films. But the good joke is that the first person to see the film when it is released would be a teenage girl.

The sexual violence is depicted as fun, enjoyable and a normal expression of romantic love. Read the line carefully. Read it again. It is depicted as a normal expression. This is where the problem arises. This is where any viewer takes things for granted. Victims are more likely to be women rather than men and sexual violence committed by heroes/villains is depicted as a normal behaviour. And the next line is even more important. Initially, the hero would harass the heroine. And towards the end heroine would become romantically involved with the hero. Such scenes projects as if women like violent sexual advances but in reality it isn’t and many rape victim fall into severe depression and become a victim of shame. Would it be right to treat a human as an object?

And another reason. Choli kay peeche kya hai? You would find it amusing. I will tell you one real story. When I was six years old, I sang this song without knowing the meaning. I received one slap from my father who was reading a newspaper nearby. I use to whistle a lot as I believe it reduces a lot. My father slapped me again! I forgot that too. Who says strict parental control doesn’t give improvement? What I was taught when I was young has helped me to handle my present day life better thanks to my father and his strict control over me. Such songs have given encouragement to men of all ages to discriminate and take women for granted. So what’s the Union Government doing? I have asked the question for the second time. Don’t worry you will answer this question yourself, as the article goes on.



So let me put it in better words. Generally, what happens in a Tamil film is that the hero would be a 22 year old dropout using words like “machi”, “gethu”, “udaal”, “maapillai”, “machan”,”mamu”. He would come across a heroine and would instantly fall in love with her and start flirting. The cinema would project as if flirtatious relationship has a beginning of courtship, along with usual sequence of dances and song routines with a huge gang of people jumping crazily shouting, “Sarukku vechurukkein, erakki vechirukkein” and towards the end the heroine accepts the hero’s sexual advances. The film would be given a “U” certification by the censor board. In short the people in the censor board are the ones who are “holding the lamps”. New Delhi is the place where most rape cases happen. How will a country improve if its capital has got such a great record? So what’s the Union Government doing?

Most of the cinemas project as if women enjoy getting teased. Eve teasing violates a woman's basic right to live in dignity. Will women forever remain targets and victims of eve teasing? I fear so. The reason is whenever there is a release of Tamil Cinema or any other movie there are huge amount of girls visiting the theater first and indirectly funding injustice. I am not against that industry, but why not drama instead of cinema? Or why not a good cinema instead of the usual masala cinema? Women are often criticized for 'inviting' molesters by way of their 'seductive' way of dress and make-up. For the last line, half of my own friends who are girls would shout at me. I know that. And as they read this article too, they would wonder why I am so harsh at modernization and against modern culture. But as I end up this article they would understand why. So what’s the Union Government doing?

Certainly anyone who lives in the fantasy world of Bollywood or Kollywoord or Tollywood or Hollywood will lose all sense of reality and rational intelligence. He will fail to see that his favorite heroes on celluloid behave differently in real life. Film starts generally don’t understand the ramifications of a film. As for the directors, they are the ones who actually believe that a little bit of eve-teasing is harmless and hence add poison to the milk.

Much of the country’s problem is primarily due to the present day 18-24 year old youth which gets infatuated by cinema and travels on roads in faded jeans, round neck T-shirts, travel in bikes. Whenever I see such people, I use to laugh inside. I use to wonder what their parents have taught them.

Much of the cinemas portray as if dominating women, forcing them to have sex and being aggressive and powerful is the test of a ‘real man’ and one who takes controls and overpowers a women is considered a real man. Don’t be shocked! This is the truth. This is what future India is about and it is only to these types of people the former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was asking to dream and they were indeed dreaming!

A group of people decided to counsel such youths. It was done through various activities and games. One very significant ‘game’ that was played was one where half the men became ‘Objects’ and the other half became ‘People’. The men who became ‘Objects’ were ordered around and made to do humiliating things. In another game, some men had labels stuck on them and the other boys were to treat them exactly as per the labels. This was quite humiliating for those who were labeled ‘prostitutes’. We really feel bad when we are treated like objects. Isn’t it? That’s what I am writing in my blog for the Soviet Union to treat humans as humans.

The result of this whole program was that the participants realized what it felt like to be treated the way they treated women. Interviews revealed that their attitudes altered to some degree. The men in the study became more sensitive, started helping more at home, and overall became more respectful of women. Even the eve-teasing complaints against these boys decreased. Many of the young men also reported that they became ‘quieter’ and less aggressive after the program. They said that they had become ‘changed from within’. Their self-esteem increased and their relationships with women improved.

So what’s the Union Government doing?

And of course, the last thing I would like to talk about. Communal violence and communal politics in cinema! Offensive portrayal of Brahmins in cinemas. I have nothing against anyone, but I am just asking one question. Do you have the guts to pass comments against any other sect or caste or other religion? Take for example, Islam. Then why are Brahmins targeted? It’s because they don’t retaliate and they are weak and they don’t have the courage to speak. Kitttu Mama or Susi Mami some bullshit which comes in some damn radio. Isn’t that a sarcastic portrayal of Brahmins? What sin have we done that you are showing us hatred? I am not talking just because I am a Brahmin, but I am talking as a human. There are also some sections in Dinakaran or Dinamalar-which talks about “Peter Mama”. In this column, politics are generated in Brahmin language and style between two characters. I am amazed at the Government’s control over its people. This is something similar to sarcastic portrayals of Sardarji in the name of Santa and Banta.

Tamilnadu being the cradle for Anti-Brahmin movements is a place where its esteemed politicians always blame the Iyer and Iyengars for almost all problems in the society. A popular revolutionary and a Hero of Dravidians made abusive remarks and repeatedly called for Brahmin killings and burning down Brahmin homes and the rape of their women. I have got a question over here. In the above statement, Brahmins are considered inferior and outcast. So why do Anti-Brahmins rape our women? What do you find so divine and enticing that you wish to insert and advance into something inferior, if we are inferior breeds in your opinion? Answer this question and do whatever you want.

In majority of the films by many great directors, there is always an Anti Brahmin sentiment criticizing Brahmin rituals and practices and stating as if Brahmins are responsible for spreading superstitions. There are even people asking about Engineering Degree of Lord Ram. Come on buddy. Do you know that Muslims have the practice of doing ‘sunnath’? Try remarking about Muslims and their culture? Just make a comment and your entire generation would regret for it! Just like how US is getting screwed in Iraq and Afghanistan at the moment. Brahmins are so helpless and weak; people always take a dig at them.

My thoughts might sound stupid for some people. But I don’t care. I am ready to stand in what I believe and my beliefs don’t involve any Anti-X sentiments and I am not having any destructive thoughts either. It’s high time that the present day youths of India realize their responsibilities rather than infatuating to cinema, entertainment and partying. If you visit theaters often, go for good films like Anniyan, Ramana, Citizen rather than Masala films. Don’t fund for injustice.

So what’s the Union Government doing? You would have found the answer by now.

-Krishna Kumar.S