Vidya Balan, Mohanlal and now Tovino Thomas — it was not just because of their films that their names got discussed in social media, but the way they reacted when their privacy got invaded in public. Why are such incidents happening again and again? The latest incident happened a week ago in Kannur, where Tovino along with his co-star Roopesh Peethambaran went for the promotion of his new film Oru Mexican Aparatha. As per a viral video, Tovino became irritated and started reacting after a person hit him and moved back. This became a discussion as a section of film followers came forward to defend the person who hit the star. When contacted, Tovino was not available for comment.
In the meantime, a senior actor who prefers anonymity, says the video was misleading. “In fact, that video is incomplete. That clip is an edited one which only focuses on the actor’s reaction. The person who uploaded it has taken an extra effort to edit out the other portions in order to corner Tovino. See, he was standing amid the crowd and just a touch cannot attract his attention. We should think about the force of that hit which made him react like that,” says the source, adding, “And one more thing, this clip came online two days after the incident happened. That means there was a master plan behind this act. When it comes to the negative comments came out against the actor, the majority of the people react to the incident with out analysing the real issue. ”
Parvathy Nair, who acted in Uttamavillain, Yennai Arinthal and James and Alice, feels that public place is not at all secure for celebrities too. “It is a time when all of us should be cautious. When people come to take selfies and pose for photos with us, we won’t know if any of them carry a hidden camera with which they can later blackmail us,” she says. “People have an obsession about celebrities and those they see on screen. It can be positive and negative as well. I think narrow-minded people are those involved in such acts. Some people react to celebrities just because the actor’s role had characteristics they disliked. We have to be wary of such people. Due to such incidents, I always avoid taking a cab alone. Even during the promotion of my movies in other languages, I prefer to go with bodyguards,” she points out, adding, “I feel celebrities should be extra careful while making public appearances as well as talking about a public issue.”
National award-winning actor Salim Kumar says that it is a phenomenon that one has to lose something when he gains another thing. “It is very common in the life of a celebrity. When he attains such a status, he naturally loses privacy. Michael Jackson became a popular figure when he was just five. Since then, he has been facing privacy issues like all others,” he says. Asked about the negative campaign against actors who question their privacy invasion, he comments, “See, there are two kinds of people. A section of people finds pleasure in creating negative comments against popular figures. This is also not a new thing.” Johnpaul George, director of Tovino Thomas starrer-Guppy, feels that such negative campaign is happening just because of the involvement of people from the same industry. “The root of this campaign to put down an artiste is in the industry itself. The funny thing is that even a common man is capable of detecting such foul plays,” he says.
