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Misogyny in movies, to a large extent contributes to violence against women while also glorifying men on such acts.
Recently, an actor was molested by her driver. Despite this horrific incident, she showed great professionalism when she came to the set of her ongoing movie after a few days. It must have taken immense courage on her part to do this, in a society that condones misogyny in movies as well as in real life, and is very likely to stigmatise her.
As a result of this, when actors today have no qualms doing any type of characters irrespective of the social values they portray on screen, a leading actor (Prithvi Raj) from the South film industry pledged that he would give up misogyny in movies he acted in, stating that he would not act in any scenes that disrespect women on screen.
This is a very affirmative move from an actor and for the first time he is setting an example to others. He has also apologised for the misogynistic dialogues in his previous films and also confirmed that he would never again act in any scenes where he require to insult a woman. Hats off for this bold decision which can have a great impact as it reaches his fans, who would certainly think about their own attitudes towards women.
This is the first time an actor takes this audacious step towards removing the misogyny in movies, and who apologised for his previous acts. He also promised that he would never again be a part of film which celebrates misogyny.
This shows that even an actor felt that misogyny in movies is shaping the social culture where such acts are not condemned. People try to follow what they see on screen forgetting that it is only a performance. This affects all types of viewers – be they educated or uneducated, in rural or urban areas – and its effects are cascading. They imbibe this in their real life where actual violence starts.
Giving up misogyny in movies by more actors like this example can help to shape a respectful and accountable society where women are not belittled on screen as well as off screen. Hope we have more of actors and scripts that do not belittle any gender.
Viciousness can be brought down to some extend with this move. The wrong representation of women in movies inspires people to imitate the same thing in real life and this creates lots of concerns. Violence can be curtailed if such scenes are not shown in movies and ads, as visual illustration always remains in the mind of audience; bad things stays more than positive things in films. Some scenes/actors get claps from audiences for overuse of wilful misogynistic dialogues and songs, which contribute to the growth of an ethos which encourages further misogyny and violence all around.
Just a quote I saw recently truly speaks of ill-effects of scenes shown on screens.
“Today the data linking violence in the media to violence in society are superior to those linking cancer and tobacco”. — David Grossman
Let’s us be optimistic about the future and hope that days will come where more celebs will restrain from signing up for portraying misogyny in movies.
Image source: YouTube
A poet by heart, environmental and social activist,she is keen on social issues concerning women, children, nature lover and a dreamer. She desires to bring transformation in the mind of people raising voice on read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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