The Curious Case of Women in Tamil Cinema
Once upon a time, the Tamil society had Goddesses and a book of virtues on exercising dharmam (Dharma) in conjugal love. In 1936, Tamil movie industry saw it's first female director. T.P. Rajalakshmi wrote, produced, directed and composed music for her film "Miss Kamala", a film with a female-centric story that can stand the test of time. In 1986, Mouna Ragam saw it's lead actress ask her husband for a divorce because she has no room in her heart for another man.
Nowadays, this is most Tamil movies: Guy has absolutely nothing going for him in life, has no ambitions or is "waiting" for the right opportunity and basically, is doing just enough to get by. One fine day, he comes across a girl and instantaneously falls for her. He pursues her relentlessly and stalks her, and when she says no, heads straight to the Tasmac and does a kuthu song lamenting about her betrayal "இந்த பொண்ணுங்களே இப்படிதான்" (translation: these girls are always like this). After which, he STILL stalks her, harasses her, in some cases abuses/insults/mocks her, eventually wearing her out and getting a frustrated "OKAY! I LOVE YOU" in a tone that might as well instead say "YES! I SHOT HIM! I SHOT HIM AND I KILLED HIM, OKAY!" Meantime, this love has given him a new found meaning in life and inspiration, and suddenly all aspects of his life are flourishing - he gives his parents money, builds them a house, excels in his job and jumps ranks at an astronomical pace and then they marry.
What happened?
Don't get me wrong. I won't turn a blind eye towards movies with strong three dimensional females. These are the stepping stones we need. But women weren't superfluous paraphernalia as much as 20 years ago. We have been drenched in these women as appendices in movies that we cry tears of joy for Aruvi. I’m not bashing Aruvi at all, it’s a truly wonderful movie, but our rejoice in seeing it is almost like we have forgotten that movies along the lines of Aval Appadithan came out in 1978. I used to mock the black and white movies my dad loves so very much, for the over the top acting of women, only to my recent horror that women in black and white movies had way more depth and characterisation than recent movies. For a movie like Aramm, we have a movie like Remo. For every movie that's headed in the right direction, there's 30 movies that's portraying things in the exact opposite manner and drowning it out. All of it with heroines from the same cookie cutter - fair, totally stunning, not even remotely Tamil-looking. Other recyclable elements include being leagues above the guy (richer/has a better job/better social standing etc, etc, etc), voice (oh yes, they all share the same unnecessarily sweet, high pitched voice. Probably because one or two voice actors do most of the dubbing for most Tamil actresses), innocent, cute, not beyond college-age (whatever that is, which is why actresses like Nayanthara are "commended" for staying in the game. At the sheer age of 33) and my all-time favourite - "loosu". (crazy)
Look, I'm not a hypocrite. I'm a die-hard romantic myself. I'm all love conquers all and will accept any over the top demonstration of it. But even I have a problem with what Tamil cinema is portraying as "love". Is it love to stalk and harass a girl into submission? Is it love to insult or shame the girl you like in public? Is it love when you belittle the girl you love? Let me give you a classic example from a recent film. A particular actor, and his sidekick go to a car showroom where the girl he lov- excuse me, is stalking, works. He brushes off all other salespeople insisting for her to come over and talk about the car. He drives the car out of the showroom during the test drive (with her on board) and crashes it. Girl gets fired on the spot since the car was her responsibility and is upset about losing her job. He casually saunters over to her as though nothing has happened, she's pissed, tells him off, asks him never to be near her again and storms off. He then asks his sidekick "Why do these girls scold us?" in a tone that suggests what she did was inappropriate. His sidekick replies, in a mocking tone "So that we will change" If you're confused, go ahead re-read the description of the scene. You didn't miss anything. That was the scene. And variations of the scene, with him harassing her and asking "Why do these girls scold us" repeat throughout the rest of the film. And variations of this dialogue, is the trope of most Tamil movies that come out today.
Apart from the stalking, the way most lead actors in movies communicate with girls is by keeping them in line. Somehow, from a guy expressing his masculinity and manliness by fighting tigers in black and white movies, we now have a guy proving that he's a man by keeping women in line. Common plot #1. Girl is dressed in jeans/shorts/dresses and has opinions. Lead actor harasses and insults her for not being the epitome of Tamil culture. That a proper Tamil girl wears a saree, pottu, lottu losku. (It's a variation of etc in Tamil) That a proper Tamil girl keeps her head down, and is gentle. During which, he is dressed in jeans, t-shirt and sometimes something ridiculous like a leather jacket (No, he doesn't own a motorbike), most likely jobless and unnecessarily preaching to people he doesn't even know on "culture". He can wear jeans even to a temple that's fine, I guess veshti is too difficult but girl, don't even think about anything other than a saree or a punjabi suit to walk in public. ஆம்பள நான் எப்படி வேணாலும் இருக்கலாம். பொம்பள நீ இப்படிதான் இருக்கனும். I can be anything I want because I'm a man, you can only be like this because you're a woman. Common plot #2. Girl is so cute and nice and such a loosu (Seriously, how many more times is a guy going to call a girl "Eh loosu" in Tamil films?) that he falls for her instantaneously. Common plot #3. If we don't have a glorified dum dum, we have a vilified witch. Because women are dichotomous. Oh wait, no - the saintly mum, the chaste wife, and the bitch. That's three! Women are trichotomous. My bad. The bitch is devoid of anything feminine. And when I say not feminine, I mean, essentially not a loosu. From Mannan to VIP2 (Kajol, girl, why? Is this some sort of payback for not being allowed to become the nun you wanted to be?), the lead actor tries to control a woman. And how is she a bitch you ask? Too ambitious, has opinions and doesn't kiss the ground he walks on. How dare she. Also, how does he try to keep her in line? He abuses her. Exact quote from a movie: "ஒரு watchaman-ஏ அவன் பொண்டாட்டிய அடிச்சு control-ஆ வச்சிருக்கான்" Translation: Even a watchman has his wife in control by hitting her (Why did the watchman hit his wife you ask? Because she didn't bring the "side dish" for his daily alcohol drinking session).
And if we are lucky enough to be bestowed with a sequel after they get married - you thought they would be living happily ever after? No, she has turned into the annoying, nagging, irritating wife. The once doctor has now turned into a housewife who’s venting because she has so much shit to do around the house and the men can’t even lift a finger. He goes to the Tasmac now because he wants to escape his wife's “nagging”. The very same woman he fell in love with previously. Movies are very confusing like that. It's like they don't know how to escape what they have been doing. Even in my beloved Baahubali, Amarendra Baahubali beheads a man for inappropriately touching a woman. His son Mahendra Baahubali, disrobes a woman and tattoos her while she's asleep without her knowledge (which very nearly got her in trouble) in his effort to show her femininity to her. Just to get her attention because she told him to back off. He also takes it upon himself to see through her mission. Why? It's like movies don't want to escape what they are doing because for God's sake they're glorifying stalking with catchy tunes and turning into a song even I can't stop singing - தொல்லை பண்ணி அலையாம திரியாமா கிடைக்கிற காதலே வேணாம் (I don't want a love that I didn't get by harassing and wearing out the girl).
Look, I almost worship the movie industry. I know the extent it can influence and impact people. Especially in India where actors being treated more than just that. People imitate their favourite actors, follow his philosophies and even live by it. And that is exactly why Tamil industry needs to focus on portraying realistic women. I'm not at all asking you to embark a warpath with women being anti-men. But please, for the sake of your followers, show that men and women can just be friends, show a woman speaking up, having a job after marriage. Show a man who does not feel emasculated for helping his working wife around the house. Tamil industry needs to focus on portraying realistic love. Objectifying, sexualising and violating women is not love. It's not even lust. It's an attempt at power exertion, i.e., rape. And that's why instances of guys throwing acid, raping and killing girls for not reciprocating their stalking is increasing. Because right now, Tamil movies are not even perpetuating the patriarchy anymore, they are perpetuating misogyny.
And the thing, Tamil movie industry, is that you don’t have to look far on how to portray women. Just go and review your films pre-1990 and take a page from there.
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