Actor-filmmaker Suhasini Maniratnam expressed that women in cinema are being "exploited" under the guise of "freedom of expression," with many artists adopting the misguided notion that revealing skin equates to being "liberated."
In a recent discussion with Mathrubhumi, Suhasini said the same when she was probed about the representation women in cinema nowadays. Stating that artistes have lost their way while trying to copy the west, she said, "There is a lot of freedom in skin exposure and close scenes because we’re copying the West and we don’t mind doing sensuous scenes. From the directors to the artists, they are a little more liberalized. We are again back to the exploitation of women. Women are doing this willingly, whether it is body exposure or close scenes."
Suhasini noted that in the past, artists often felt compelled to act in ways they didn't agree with to stay relevant in the competitive film industry. "But today, you are saying, ‘mentally I am free to do this. It’s not for money, it’s not to be number one. But I’ll do whatever I want.’ So, I think in that facade of freedom of expression, women are exploited in films," she added.
She mentioned that the portrayal of women in commercial cinema has evolved since 2010, but prior to that, it largely revolved around the concept of “taming of the shrew.” Suhasini Maniratnam noted that the male perspective prevailed in commercial films, which women in society have begun to challenge.
Taking Vijay as an example, Suhasini said that actor previously worked on movies that carried traditional narratives. "Now, Vijay doesn’t do it. He has done films with Asin and others where it was taming of the shrew," she added, pointing out that the responsibility lies with the directors who created these narratives. She also questioned as to why people are complaining about these stories when they were accepted in the past. "It’s because women have woken up and asking why is every film about taming the shrew? An arrogant, modern girl is sobered down by the man. Any Hindi mainstream film if you’d take, that was the main thing," she added.
