We need to reboot our own culture, a 2.0 version of our culture, for the betterment of society: Lakshmi

Actress-turned-screenwriter Lakshmi Devy is quite ecstatic, as her directorial feature film debut, When The Music Changes, which also has her playing the protagonist, was screened for a select audience in Chennai on Friday. Though the New York-born filmmaker confesses that she is not at liberty to divulge much about the movie, she says it was the alarming rise in the number of rape cases and the misconceptions associated with women’s honour in the country that inspired her to make the film.
She begins, “The film deals with the physical and emotional abuse one goes through after a sexual assault.The incidence of rape cases, in which women of all age groups — from babies to older women — get affected, has always upset me. The most unfortunate thing is, the society conveniently blames the girls for it, for their dressing style, for drinking alcohol... What’s more appalling is, it’s 2020, and we are still worried about women’s honour! We complain about getting attacked physically, but someone who has been sexually attacked is not free to talk about it. We often talk about culture and many express their concern over aping the West, but I’d say, we need to reboot our own culture, a 2.0 version of our culture, for the betterment of society. We need to send out a message that a sexual assault or molestation or verbal abuse is not okay, and the perpetrators need to be severely punished.”
She continues, “The character assassination which women are subjected to comes from a patriarchal mindset, which should change. Those who take pride in our culture should also think about its relevance when women are being hurt physically and emotionally. I’m not asking to give up our culture, I’m just asking you to be kind towards women.”
Having said that, Lakshmi notes there have been some changes in the mindset of people, thanks to awareness over the years, but she thinks there is a long way to go. “It is also sickening to listen to people talking about “giving freedom to women”. Both men and women are beautiful in their own way, and they should respect each other. That’s what I have attempted to convey through the film.”
The shoot of the movie took place in Hyderabad before the lockdown. The story is based on a few real-life incidents, and Lakshmi says it was her passion for acting that prompted her to play the protagonist as well. She says, “I felt I could pull off the role as I saw this as an amazing opportunity. The prime advantage of me paying the character was that I didn’t have to explain the nuances of emotions to anyone. It was great to work with actors Adith Arun, Naveen George Thomas, Shreya Navile and Vignesh Shivasubramanium.”
Abinandan Ramanujam has cranked the camera for the movie, which has been edited by Anthony. Achu Rajamani and Sandeep Kumar Singh have done the background score and sync sound respectively. “I’m looking forward to having a theatrical release next year,” she signs off.