ahlam1399
09-20-2016, 06:04 PM
CHENNAI: The portrayal of women chased and harassed by spurned lovers in south Indian films has made stalking a "cool, romantic thing to do" activists said on Tuesday, urging the film industry to stop glorifying a crime that has resulted in violent deaths.
"Tamil films routinely promote stalking as an acceptable, even preferred way of wooing a woman," drama researcher Iswarya V. stated in an online petition that is gathering support from movie-goers, activists and even a few actors.
"These films continually reinforce the message that stalkers will ultimately be rewarded for their persistence...It also denies women the right to say '**' to their stalker."
In the last few months, Tamil Nadu has reported half a dozen cases of women being murdered in their homes, classrooms and in public spaces for rejecting men who have stalked them.
In August, a stalker walked into the home of a schoolgirl, set himself on fire and hugged her, all the while saying that he would **t let her live for spurning him.
In July, a female software engineer was hacked to death in broad daylight at a train station in the port city of Chennai by a man who had stalked her for months.
Nearly four out of five women in India have faced public harassment ranging from staring, insults and wolf-whistling to being followed, groped or raped, said a recent survey by the charity ActionAid UK.
The central government recently brought in tougher penalties for gender crimes, which included criminalising stalking and voyeurism.
"But our cinema has **rmalised this crime and encourages this impunity," said Kirthi Jayakumar, founder of **n-profit group The Red Elephant Foundation that promotes gender equality.
Many Tamil films are variations of the same theme - a boy falls in love with a girl, pursues her, she says ** and then he stalks her till she reciprocates his affection. The ****** bank on this well-worn plot to get box ****** cash registers ringing.
"The problem is when we watch these ****** in an audience that is cheering the hero on, clapping and hooting, it gives the impression that everything being enacted is **rmal, acceptable behaviour," Iswarya told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"We want to flag it as a serious issue because **ne of these films are given an adult certification, making them accessible to even children."
In her petition, the 28-year-old urges producers and directors to "stop depicting stalking as a playful and acceptable way to woo a woman". It asks actors to "reject" roles where a woman is stalked to win her love.
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"Tamil films routinely promote stalking as an acceptable, even preferred way of wooing a woman," drama researcher Iswarya V. stated in an online petition that is gathering support from movie-goers, activists and even a few actors.
"These films continually reinforce the message that stalkers will ultimately be rewarded for their persistence...It also denies women the right to say '**' to their stalker."
In the last few months, Tamil Nadu has reported half a dozen cases of women being murdered in their homes, classrooms and in public spaces for rejecting men who have stalked them.
In August, a stalker walked into the home of a schoolgirl, set himself on fire and hugged her, all the while saying that he would **t let her live for spurning him.
In July, a female software engineer was hacked to death in broad daylight at a train station in the port city of Chennai by a man who had stalked her for months.
Nearly four out of five women in India have faced public harassment ranging from staring, insults and wolf-whistling to being followed, groped or raped, said a recent survey by the charity ActionAid UK.
The central government recently brought in tougher penalties for gender crimes, which included criminalising stalking and voyeurism.
"But our cinema has **rmalised this crime and encourages this impunity," said Kirthi Jayakumar, founder of **n-profit group The Red Elephant Foundation that promotes gender equality.
Many Tamil films are variations of the same theme - a boy falls in love with a girl, pursues her, she says ** and then he stalks her till she reciprocates his affection. The ****** bank on this well-worn plot to get box ****** cash registers ringing.
"The problem is when we watch these ****** in an audience that is cheering the hero on, clapping and hooting, it gives the impression that everything being enacted is **rmal, acceptable behaviour," Iswarya told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"We want to flag it as a serious issue because **ne of these films are given an adult certification, making them accessible to even children."
In her petition, the 28-year-old urges producers and directors to "stop depicting stalking as a playful and acceptable way to woo a woman". It asks actors to "reject" roles where a woman is stalked to win her love.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/com/YEor/~4/q1Y-q7QfFy4
أكثر... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/com/YEor/~3/q1Y-q7QfFy4/151275-Indian-films-portray-stalking-women-cool-romantic-campaigners)