Actor Parvathy had recently criticized Mammootty starer Kasaba for its misogynistic dialogues and negative portrayal of women.
Speaking at an open forum as part of the ongoing International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram, Parvathy said that she was disappointed by the movie in which a great actor was seen badmouthing women.
Since then the award winning actress has been a target of trolls and online abuses especially from the fans of the mega star.
Now, actor Santhosh Pandit who has starred alongside Mammootty in the upcoming flick Masterpiece, has posted a message on Facebook as a response to Parvathy’s comments on Kasaba.
He says, “A popular actress had commented at an ongoing popular film festival that a few dialogues mouthed by a popular actor in a popular movie was misogynistic in fact the majority of movies that are released here are written, directed and produced by mostly men, so they would obviously portray women in their movies the way they like to perceive them.”
The maverick film maker who often doesn’t shy away from voicing his honest opinions wrote that the film makers include glamour and sex scenes or double meaning dialogues to sell their movies to a vast audience which comprise mostly of men.
He also added that the men often succeed in this business as the movie would bring profits for the producer. “The primary aim of those who make either an award movie or a commercial movie is to do good business and gain profit; and definitely not to positively elevate the society.
If the women are disappointed at the present situation then there is only one way to change it. Women should forget about business and marketing aspects of movies, and direct and produce films in which fully clothed female actors are made to mouth decent dialogues,” says Pandit.
Santosh Pandit who is known for his unique film making style says that these days young actresses who find success in Malayalam cinema migrate to Tamil or Hindi movies looking for better wages, before bidding adieu to acting post marriage often citing husband’s disapproval as an excuse.
Pandit had even cited Kamasutra, A Tale of Love directed by Mira Nair in 1996 as an instance of a movie filled with sex scenes despite being directed by a woman. He says that she had tried to attract the male audience to promote her movie.
“Either women should learn about the technical aspects of movie making even if they quit acting after marriage and make movies which are 100% decent, without actually being concerned about business or marketing or should vow that they wouldn’t act in those movies which portray women in obscene ways (like shower scene, exposing, sex scenes, smoking and drinking, smooches or embraces etc).
If all the women in India make such a decision regarding this then everything will be sorted out,” says Santhosh Pandit.He even implores to “live and let live” by either viewing cinema as a business and not as an art form, or make movies whose contents do not hurt any section of people.
Santhosh Pandit says that if the women are not ready to come forward and make movies that reflect their ideologies then the current situation would continue to prevail. “Nobody makes a movie just because they admire art, films, literature or music,” says Pandit.
Pandit is of the opinion that the recent super hit song ‘entammede jimikki kammal’ from Mohanlal starrer Velipadinte Pusthakam was crooned by millions of women and they too play a major role in turning those movies or songs into successful business ventures even if they are reeking misogyny.
“92% customers of movies or YouTube videos are men while only a meager 8% are women. It is purely a business. They will go to any extend to impress their male audience. You could either bear this or settle watching TV serials.”
He also reminds that many third rated sex comedies have become super hits in the past because the women too have applauded for the double meaning dialogues in it.
Pandit urges the female audience to watch and promote those movies, though a few, which give prominence to women. He concludes his Facebook post by saying that Malayalam cinema would never change; and may be the audience could alter their mentalities and thus bring about a change in the kind of movies that are produced in Malayalam.
As a post script Santhosh Pandit says, “I avoid misogynistic or double meaning dialogues in the movies that I pen and direct, and do not include scenes in which the actors are seen smoking or drinking.
Usually the plots unravel to prove that these vices may even destroy families. I try to at least give a few positive messages through my movies. But when I act in other directors’ movies I wouldn’t have any control over it and then I cannot assure anything about the kind of dialogues my character may say because an actor/actress is only an instrument in the hands of the director.”
