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By:
JBR
A woman, the mother of two after marriage, murders the husband with the help of her erstwhile lover.
Another woman on the 11th day after marriage beckons her lover to help murder her husband on their honeymoon.
These two murders were not done on the spur of the moment driven by en emotional impulse. These women have displayed a fake emotional catharsis to distance themselves from their acts.
What is the fundamental reason for these murders that disconcerted Tamilnadu? What or who emboldened them to take this extreme step of murdering their husbands?
Sociologists, psychologists, women’s organizations and journalists put several reasons forth. Wrong bringing up, parental restrictions, sex problems, changing social norms, deterioration of joint family and such. But other reasons they unfailingly point out are cinema and TV serials.
The trend of portraying illicit relations in cinema is increasing. These kinds of films are sowing the seed that there is nothing wrong in illicit relations. These films encourage the extreme steps taken to protect such relations. Critics cite the recent films like ‘Kalaba Kaadalan,’ ‘Thiruttupayale’ and ‘Uyir’ as examples.
In ‘Kalaba Kaadalan,’ a young woman falls in love with her sister’s husband. The film does not examine the reasons that prompt such feeling. Instead, the film portrays the efforts by the young woman to seduce her brother-in-law. In a dream sequence they roll about half dressed. The film also shows the ‘mistake’ done by them in a dream scene.
In ‘Kalaba Kaadalan’ there is no scene to point out that such a relation is wrong. Instead the film celebrates her steadfastness in her emotions. Finally, on compulsions she agrees to marry some one, but commits suicide due to her unrequited love. The dear and near, cry over her. The only person who knows the reason also grieves for the sad end. The director celebrates the climax scene in a way that is fit for a martyr who was resolute in his convictions. Like some who laud those who commit sati.
In ‘Thiruttupayale,’ the wife develops a relationship with the husband’s friend without his knowledge. The husband obsessed with business, an intimate relationship that paves the way for easy entry to the bedroom, and a carefree lifestyle are the causes that set the stage for such illicit relationships to thrive. The wife realizes her folly only when another comes to know about the relationship and then start her headaches.
In this film directed by Susi Ganesan, equal place is given to the mental predispositions of the characters and activities resulting from such relationship such as blackmail, murders and assault by paid mercenary. That is the reason why ‘Thiruttupayale’ stands out in its place compared to ‘Kalaba Kaadalan’ and ‘Uyir.’
Even in this film there is no effort to point out the mistake in developing illicit relationship with the husband’s friend. The men who are involved in such relationship are murdered by the husband. Susi Ganesan prides himself in saying his film teaches a lesson that death is the punishment for such mistakes. His explanation makes fear the results of such mistakes than fearing the mistakes themselves. For instance, what if the husband in this film was not strong enough to commit a murder? Susi Ganesan would have had to do another screen play!
The story of ‘Uyir’ relates to the sister-in-law falling in love with the brother-n-law. In her passion to possess her brother-n-law, she is portrayed as pouring boiling milk over her child. In comparison to the other two films where no revulsion is created towards any character, there is a distinct distaste towards the character of the sister-in-law in this film. This characterization may induce a guilt feeling among wrongdoers. At the same time, there is a danger that it may provoke a feeling among wrongdoers that they are not so dreadful.
Directors like Susi Ganesan claim that they are compiling such instances for their stories from the newspapers. They argue that they only portray what is happening around. The wrongdoers and critics maintain that people learn from cinema. Let us not get into an argument of did egg come first or chicken come first.
Illicit relationships have been around for a long time, even before cinema came into being. There is no point in accusing cinema alone for that. But when there is a trend in centralizing this theme, it may create an impression that such things are part of living and may take away the necessary guilt feeling associated with such wrong attitudes.
It is not possible to have a society without malcontents. On the basis of this truth, the healthy resolution is to see that such wrongs don’t end up as crimes. An example of this would be Kamal’s ‘Mumbai Xpress.’
The heroine of this film Manisha Koirala is the unwed wife of the police officer Nasser. They have a 10 year old son. Nasser’s worry is that his relationship with Manisha may affect his legitimate family. Manisha has no involvement with Nasser other than money. Now Kamal makes an entry between them. Kamal is in love with Manisha. He is not bothered by the fact that Manisha is the unwed wife of Nasser and that they a 10 year old son. They get married. Manisha, Nasser and the young boy all heave a big sigh, including the audience.
Both Kamal’s ‘Mumbai Xpress’ and his personal life are examples in preventing disharmony in relationship and breach of relationship ending up in crimes like murder.
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-17.07.2006
