The teaser of Yash’s upcoming Kannada film ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ has landed in controversy.Reports say that a political party’s Women’s Wing has filed a formal complaint with the Karnataka State Women’s Commission. They have said that the teaser shows “obscene visuals” and could harm the social and cultural values of the state. As reported by NDTV the complaint also says the teaser is not suitable for open public viewing and may affect women, children, and minors who watch it online.
Scene that started the debate
The teaser was released on January 8 to celebrate Yash’s 40th birthday. It became viral within minutes. One short scene has now become the main talking point. The scene shows Yash sitting in a car with a woman. It is shot in a dark and stylised way. Many viewers said that they felt uncomfortable watching it. Others said it was only meant to show the nature of the character.
Director’s cryptic message
Director Geetu Mohandas did not stay silent after the criticism started. She posted a message on her Instagram Stories. Many people called it cryptic. She wrote, “Chilling while people figure out female pleasure, consent, women playing systems, etc., etc.” Her words added fuel to the debate. Some people felt she was defending the scene and standing by her creative choice. Others felt the message was unclear and avoided the real concern raised by viewers. The discussion only grew stronger after her post.
Strong and angry public reactions
The comments under the post showed how divided people are. One angry comment read, “The scene is celebrating peak masculinity through objectifying women as a sex toy. I once respected WCC, but this is hypocrism..”Another person wrote, “Calling it “consensual” is a reach. The scene is clearly meant to establish the character. She’s merely used as a weapon! It’s not even just objectifying! It’s something more disgusting & sick!.”One more comment said, “Objectifying women’s bodies with choking scenes what if it was a male director? These guys were speaking against Prithvi, that he objectified some bar dancer in an item song.”Geethu Mohandas and Parvathy Thiruvothu had earlier criticised a sequence in ‘Kasaba’ which they felt was ‘Objectifying women’ whereas in reality, that sequence perfectly explained Mammootty’s character detail.
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