We may be living in the 21st century but it still seems that speaking your mind is a crime.
Qarib Qarib Singlle actor Parvathy recently had to lodge a police complaint against online trolls after she was bullied on social media for over a week for expressing her views about a dialogue from Malayalam actor Mammootty’s film Kasaba.
The only fault of this 29-year-old actor was that she irked the fans of Mammootty by calling the dialogues of Kasaba ‘misogynistic’ on the sidelines of the recently concluded International Film Festival of Kerala.
According to a report filed by The Indian Express, Parvathy said that she was taken aback on seeing a Malayalam superstar mouthing cringe-worthy and misogynistic lines in the film.
“I, unfortunately, watched Kasaba. With all due respects to the technicians who worked in the film. I was definitely disappointed to watch an actor (Mammootty) par excellence, happen to say dialogues to a woman in a scene which was not only derogatory but most saddening.”
Here’s the dialogue Parvathy TK, the award-winning actor of films like Take Off, Mariyaan and Bangalore Days, was referring to:
“I will f**k you (his woman superior) so hard that you’d find it extremely difficult to walk. I will hurt you so badly that your menstrual cycle would go for a toss.”
its not mammooty spitting those lines its the character …its not mandatory for art to reform society
— jose thomas (@edathuajose) December 13, 2017
Now, this was unfortunately followed by vicious trolling, abusing and even rape and death threats on various online platforms by the veteran actor’s fans.
Cheap feminist….!Bayangara over aanu ipo….Nalla role cheyth povunnathalle…Nthina verthe verupikkinnu…😠
— AJMAL (@Im_ajmal_aju) December 12, 2017
We Hav Seen u in Smoking and Other Vulgar Scenes,So, Dnt b Stupid to Teach a Legend, U don’t Worth for it,Be on ur limits😊
— MAMMOOTTY TRENDS (@MammoottyTrends) December 12, 2017
And guess what?
It didn’t stop even after Parvathy issued a statement to explain her position.
Cinema can reflect all aspects of the society and all kinds of people. The good, the bad and the ugly. But no! It cannot glorify injustice and violence as “cool” & “mass” entertainment. I rest my case. This was a good day indeed! Thank you for sharing (and hurling) your thoughts!
— Parvathy T K (@parvatweets) December 12, 2017
I never criticised him. Simply expressed my disappointment in the movie. Thanks for being respectful in the way you put across the comment here. Very rare it seems here.
— Parvathy T K (@parvatweets) December 12, 2017
This isn’t about curbing cinematic creativity. This is only about reassessing how negatives can be imitated in society. And therefore give it a better structure so we avoid glorification of violence and disrespect.
— Parvathy T K (@parvatweets) December 12, 2017
She even found support from a lot of people.
I haven’t see the film but i strongly support @paro_nair‘s right to express her views on misogyny on our cinema screens without being subjected to rape&death threats. I call on senior male actors in the Malayalam film industry to stand by her &start a public debate on the issue. https://t.co/J0W6avZSwm
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 27, 2017
@parvatweets well done with the police complaint. High time the harassers are unmasked. A group of Tamil tweeters did the same – threaten I ll go out of work some years ago and launched a campaign that I said ‘fishermen can die coz they are meat eaters’.
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) December 26, 2017
After filing a police complaint against the trolls, the actor spoke to NDTV.
“This is now much bigger than me. It’s not about me only. It’s about how women are treated when they respectfully put forward a different opinion. We’ve been silenced for years. I have been in this industry for eleven years and I must thank the fans for their support,”
Now, one person has already been arrested by cops for cyber bullying.
In another similar incident, journalist Dhanya Rajendran also had to face the wrath from fans of actor Vijay for criticising and comparing his film Sura with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jab Harry Met Sejal.
