Telugu cinema takes up the cudgels for women

In a hero-dominated movie industry like Tollywood, making women-centric films is a rarity. With few films focusing on the female protagonist, the balance, if any, has always tipped towards the hero���s shenanigans and mass movie mantras. But of late, a few filmmakers from the Telugu Film Industry (TFI) have announced movies that are not only women-centric, but are also inspired by real-life incidents.And leading the long list of ���true stories��� that have inspired T-Town is the heart-wrenching Nirbhaya rape case, which shook the conscience of the country.
Soon after the tragic incident which resulted in the death of the young Delhi brave heart, filmmaker Om Prakash, who has made woman-oriented films in the past too, announced Janmasthanam, which deals with the issue of sexual assault on women. However, he is quick to add that ���it���s not just the Nirbhaya case that has inspired his film.��� ���There are numerous crimes against women everywhere. In Kurnool, for instance, a father tried to rape his three daughters. Such atrocities against women continue in the country. All of this resulted in the script for Janmasthanam,��� says the director.
The filmmaker also points out that the commercial aspects of the film aren���t his concern. ���As a responsible citizen, I wanted to do my bit for society and women,��� he says, adding that he has no intention of sensationalising the plot by filming rape scenes. ���I don���t want to sensationalise the incidents by showing rape on screen. It���s just insensitive and vulgar. I want to make this film, because atrocities against women in the country are increasing and cinema should reflect this reality,��� he adds.
That seems to be the belief shared by producer and director Thammareddy Bharadwaj as well. The veteran is coming up with a film, Pratighatana, which is based on the real life story of a girl in Orissa. ���This young girl was subject to inhuman atrocities and is still is in coma. When I read about it, I knew had to make a film on this to create awareness,��� says Bharadwaj.
The filmmaker is happy that more directors are joining this bandwagon of ���socially responsible cinema��� with an aim to create awareness. He says, ���Instead of making films on the same subject and waiting for a star to act in it, it���s better we come up with novel ideas and hard-hitting subjects. All our movies have the regular six-song-three-comedy scene formula, which is clich��.��� Interestingly, Bharadwaj too says that the box office fate of his film is not something that bothers his too much. ���I���m not worried whether the movie will be a commercial success or not. It���s the idea of making a socially relevant film that gives me immense satisfaction,��� says Bharadwaj, adding, ���Of course, if one socially-conscious movie manages to set the cash register ringing, others too will follow suit. It���ll be a healthy trend in the industry.���
The director, meanwhile, is leaving no stone unturned to research well on the subject. ���When the Nirbhaya incident happened, many people, including students came out in protest and lit candles. But those very students end up ragging women and eve-teasing them in colleges. All these aspects need to be highlighted.���
There are two other films in the offing that even have ���Nirbhaya��� in their title. Director Allani Sreedhar will be playing tribute to Nirbhaya, in a film inspired by the braveheart, titled Nirbhaya. ���I'm making a movie based on this incident and the script is being worked on. I���m not treating my film the way a normal commercial movie is treated. I want to convey a message to the youth,��� Allani Sridhar was quoted as saying. The director admitted that portraying the incident on the big screen would be difficult, as it is a very sensitive case. To this end, a few scenes would be dramatic, but not overtly so. ���I want to make a film and not a documentary. I want my message to reach a lot of people, especially the youth. So, I have to add a few dramatic scenes without diluting the original theme,��� the director was quoted.
Generally known to make films on revolutionary subjects, director R Narayana Murthy is also coming up with a film titled Nirbhaya Bharatam. However, he says it is ���not entirely based on the Nirbhaya incident, but inspired by it���. ���My movie deals with a man���s fight against atrocities against women, after his daughter is raped. I���ve even shot a few scenes of the film in Delhi,��� says Murthy.