Gone are the days when female artists were merely glam dolls whose job was to follow the hero, blush at his touch and fear the antagonist before eventually being saved. In the era of big-budget pan-Indian films, audiences expect actresses to have full-length, substantial characters, just like their male counterparts. With female characters increasingly being given more importance, filmmakers are also facing greater scrutiny over how they are written and presented on screen.
Feminists On Duty
Srikanth Odela, once cited as a promising young filmmaker, is now under scrutiny for his work in The Paradise. While the film has been panned by critics and moviegoers in general, one aspect of the action drama appears to have particularly provoked criticism: the alleged objectification of its female character. The portrayal of women in commercial cinema continues to remain a sensitive topic, especially when a character’s appearance is seemingly given more importance than her contribution to the narrative.
Kayadu Lohar, who plays an adult film actress, has been portrayed as a young woman desperate to show her skin. Not only is her character seen as futile in moving the story forward, but the depiction of her mother shooting her adult scenes has also not gone down well with some audiences. A section of netizens has even called out Odela’s alleged “perversion” in crafting a female character in such a manner. The criticism has consequently become one of the talking points surrounding The Paradise following its release.
Sukumar’s Assistants Under Scrutiny
This is the second time a Telugu film has faced criticism over its portrayal of women this year after Buchi Babu Sana’s Peddi. While the sports drama received praise for its cast performances and music, Janhvi Kapoor’s portrayal was criticised by some for excessive skin exposure. Regardless, the Ram Charan-starrer emerged as a notable commercial success in several territories. It remains to be seen if Nani can similarly pull off a box-office heist with The Paradise despite the negativity surrounding the film.
