Palakkad: A video clip that was doing the rounds on social media titled 'The biggest selfie disaster in Kerala' for the past three days is nothing but a trailer of an upcoming film, revealed its director.
The video showed two children taking selfies next to a well without a protection wall when an old woman comes to fetch water but falls into the well.
At a press conference, the film's director Vivian Radhakrishnan said that it was not an accident, but a video shot to promote his film. Shoranur, Kunnathara native Rajalakshmi, who acted as the woman who fell into the well, was along with him during the press conference.
The video had gone viral with captions saying that an Alappuzha native fell into the well.
So far, some 50 lakh people have seen it.
The comments of those who saw the video ranged from blaming the house owners for not constructing a protection wall for the well to providing financial assistance to the old woman.
Attempt to cleanse social media
Vivian Radhakrishnan admitted that he doesn't fully agree with circulating the video. He said he was aiming to cleanse social media of such visuals. “My aim was to underscore the fact that such videos should not find a place on social media. Though there is an issue of ethics in circulating such visuals that could be misleading, when your intention is right there shouldn't be a problem," he said.
'Can't do anything in the name of awareness'
Circulating misleading visuals in the social media in the name of awareness is wrong. Can you commit a robbery and create awareness about robbery? Nobody is authorised to do anything in the name of awareness. There is nothing wrong in promoting a film. But it should be made clear that the visual is from a film. If we receive a complaint, we will take action under the IT Act, said IG Manoj Abraham, nodal officer, Cyberdome.