Online petition to curb the way stalking is glorified in cinema
Some of the popular films in India have one thing in common — they romanticise stalking. Now, a petition by Iswarya V., a full-time research fellow, in Chennai is seeking to stop just this.
A few of the biggest films to have come out in the recent past, such as Nannaku Prematho in Telugu where Jr NTR in a bid to woo his love interest Rakul Preet Singh tells her how much he wants to be with her with the song I Wanna Follow You, or 3 in Tamil and Raanjhanaa in Bollywood, where the hero follows his heart and the girl, simply reiterate the fact that stalking is okay and will definitely not land you in jail.
Still from the Tamil film 3, which apparently inspired a stalker to attack a woman
There’s no questioning the effect film and television content — especially the ones that glorify crime — has on audiences. But when that translates into real life crime, where do we draw the line between creating entertainment and art, and normalising a criminal act?
In the wake of recent incidents of violence against women by their alleged stalkers, Iswarya’s petition has picked up momentum and activists have begun asking the Tamil film industry to stop glorifying stalkers and normalising the act, which is a crime. The issue however, is not limited to the Tamil industry alone. A dozen and more films normalise the act of stalking — lead characters relentlessly pursuing a partner who is least interested.
“There are fans who cut their wrists for their idols. So, in such a society, films’ impact is huge. Also, boys and girls don’t interact much during schooling. And when a boy wants to know how to communicate with the opposite sex, he seeks the help of movies. This is why I think movies should stop glorifying such things,” says Iswarya, adding that films with such content be given an ‘A’ rating.
Song I Wanna Follow You from Nannaku Prematho
Tollywood film director and actor Ravi Babu, whose film Anasuya portrayed a stalker, says that the treatment of the film should be well done.“After my film was released, I read that a stalker had slashed the throat of a girl after he was inspired by the film, and I felt miserable. No where do I romanticise stalking. But, does this mean we don’t work on a subject like this?” he asks.
Others in the industry believe that films can’t be held responsible for crimes, as they’re just meant to entertain people. Nannaku Prematho star Rakul Preet Singh says, “When we show a stalker who has done something wrong, or a rapist in film, who has fallen in love with the heroine, there is no happy ending there. What we show is when a guy likes a girl, and they eventually fall in love, which is not wrong. The important thing is to create stricter laws and follow them, instead of signing petitions like these.”
Still from the Telugu film Anasuya
B’wood director Rensil D’Silva adds, “Films and creativity are mirrors to the society. I don’t think they have any role to play in sociopathic behaviour. People also have problems with provocative and pornographic lyrics in films the mindset of the society needs to change.”
With inputs from Priyanka Praveen, Aarti Bhanushali and Kirubhakar Purushothaman
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