Pages

April 18, 2012

Is '22 Female,Kottayam' the only 'Rape and Revenge Film' from India?

(A poster of the film)

                 There was a phase in my life as a moviebuff when I was a diehard fan of extremely graphic and violent foreign language films(Cat III Films according to the Hongkong Motion Picture Rating system).Most of these films(Entrails of a Virgin,Entrails of a Beautiful Woman,Daughter of darkness to name a few), had similar themes of either a hapless woman,a victim of sexual violence taking revenge on her rapists or that of an antagonist (usually a male acting alone),attacking one or more victims.The mixture of Sex and Violence(in films) is an age old formula(a highly successful one in mid eighties and early nineties)and it has even given birth to sub genres in films like Rape and revenge films/Pink,Slasher/Exploitation films.Owing to their 'shock value' and  the extremely graphic content some of the movies from the genre have even attained a cult following(I Spit on Your Grave,The Last House on the Left,Cannibal Holocaust).
                       Having been someone who is into reviewing feature films,I am getting numerous e-mails/tweets/FB suggestions since the last 2 days to review this particular Malayalam Film '22 F,Kottayam' directed by Aashiq Abu.The Movie which apparently has some 'brutal and shocking' climactic sequences has mostly garnered glowing online reviews for the sincerity with which the film has been made! The purpose of this post is to inform my beloved readers(I am thankful to you all for the love and support that you people have given me all these years) that I won't be reviewing 22 F,Kottayam for Rape and Revenge films(I hear 22F,K is one)aren't my cup of tea anymore!I have seen dozens of them already and I honestly don't think repulgnant scenes like that of a woman cutting off the penis of her rapist fascinates or 'shocks' me anymore.A lot has been written about this particular movie by the mainstream media by now.Woman emancipation,portrayal of new age Malayali woman and shit like that.Do these people really expect those unfortunate real life victims of sexual violence to retaliate the filmy way after seeing this supposedly 'socially relevant' film?Or do they believe that the antisocial elements in the society will metamorphose into Good Samaritans overnight?
               Do films have that much of an influence in our society?


PS: As far as the blog title is concerned,the answer obviously is a big NO.


-nikhimenon
               

23 comments:

animesh varma said...

22 f,kottayam is definitely an overarted film..have seen this movie..i think its nothing but crap!

RachanaRithu said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RachanaRithu said...

Well Mr. Menon.......a film like 22FK may not change spineless for namesake "men" into good ones overnight thts true even that fact too is shown clearly in the climax but the success of the movie is that it took the courage to show what we always closed our eyes away especially in a male dominated society like kerala.....and if u ask me what good it does??? then the answer is... it passes a message that women are not hopeless victims "always" and as u said the film also shows what to be done to those who does not know how to respect women and as a answer to your question ....yes......every women must be courageous to react in the same way( if cruel or rather brutal) they are treated ......and bytheway 22FK may not be perfect but it is indeed a bold attempt and good film....

nikhimenon said...

@rachana..
well madam,thank you for commenting.
btw this is exactly the kind of response that i was expecting for this particular post.
//then the answer is... it passes a message that women are not hopeless victims "always" and as u said the film also shows what to be done to those who does not know how to respect women and as an answer to your question//
again this is where i differ with you.I do agree with that the movie is well intended and t s trying to give a positive msg to violence against women.but then i am also apprehensive about the kind of response that the movie s going to elicit from the general public.a few net savy women and a few from the urban centres mite think that the mvie wil bring about the much needed reform in the society.but as far as the majority of the general public s concerned,they are least bothered about all this..f not we wouldnt have witnessed so many scandals/ popping out every other day right?

as far as the rape and revenge movies from kerala is concerned,no 22 fk is defintely not the first one.do you remember the extremely scary 'lisa' by mr baby?or even ee shabdam innathe shabdam,the mammootty starrer starring shobhana?

RachanaRithu said...

Well sir,
Thank you for responding…….
wht ur response said are facts I admit …..and I also agree that a film like 22FK won’t clean up this dirty ditch, we are in overnight and it won’t lessen the number of cases being reported day by day to a great level but ……what if it changes one man who is watching the movie???? What if it gives one woman the courage to respond to the cruelty that she faces???? I admit where thousands or more than that happenings are going on everywhere one change might not be a great one but atleast one will be saved……and if at all when one man changes one woman is saved so does her life and does a family…and if one woman gets the courage, and reacts, then one “Pimp” (coz I can’t call those ones ‘men’) will be destroyed and by that atleast a couple of girls who might b his next pray…….and combined it will make a reasonable number of lives which is saved ….right??????and about the movies released already…..well as far as I know people find it great to watch “DDLJ” a thousand times before proposing to his/her girlfriend/boyfriend but I don’t think they will go bck and watch all those old movies u mentioned to polish their morality……. People need to be reminded from time to time…in the pace of the generation …. So though there may be a thousand better movies released about the same theme ….reminders must come…..even years after 22FK……..

nikhimenon said...

@rachana..
//What if it gives one woman the courage to respond to the cruelty that she faces????//

point taken..i do respect your views..

Murali Margassery said...

Mr. Nikhil. I agree with you in many ways. See i strongly believe all the art-forms includes movies, will communicate with people. If we take that point. What caters in 22FK and how it reach to the people...? I strongly believes our male-dominated society carries some rubbish social norms/values. But the director, AshiQ Abu cannot say something like that..?

A girl who started flirting with a guy, and believes she is safe in his place to live. from that point the conflict started. Nothing wrong about live in together, or denies the morality of virginity keeping process [Its something the male values of Kerala society, but woman need not suppress herself for that] but here that even happened after she receives the marriage assurance, and she says without any hesitation in film "i'm not virgin". Why do the film maker made that girl put her into that stand? [the movie caters she rebels some system which made upon the society-rock music is used in her climax entry scene, rock itself is rebel]. I felt the film maker immature to deal such a subject. He finds the solution is Killing a person, and Chopping otherOne's sex organ. This is something we already seen in many popular english and other language movies.. Is that the right way? Or what it concluded.?

K.. Let's come to this place, "I'd problem because you used me and not a problem when i leaves you, but you are losing a person whom you loved"
Finally this idiot tells "I will come if i miss you"
What rubbish is that, why the film maker holds such stupid moralities?

Using, tickling scenes and dialogues to receive claps and laughs in theater,which means, our directors goes upto any extend or handle any subject in their own way. They don't care what they told, what they delivered and what impact made out of that. At least they have to realize whether they have any sense about the social responsibility they have as a person dealt with an art...!

all this new trend of relationship in malayalam films (with apple ipad, mobile SMSs, FB) spreads 'false consciousness' over the society. Society, Reality and truth is far away from all this....
Murali Margassery

Murali Margassery said...

Mr. Nikhil. I agree with you in many ways. See i strongly believe all the art-forms includes movies, will communicate with people. If we take that point. What caters in 22FK and how it reach to the people...? I strongly believes our male-dominated society carries some rubbish social norms/values. But the director, AshiQ Abu cannot say something like that..?

A girl who started flirting with a guy, and believes she is safe in his place to live. from that point the conflict started. Nothing wrong about live in together, or denies the morality of virginity keeping process [Its something the male values of Kerala society, but woman need not suppress herself for that] but here that even happened after she receives the marriage assurance, and she says without any hesitation in film "i'm not virgin". Why do the film maker made that girl put her into that stand? [the movie caters she rebels some system which made upon the society-rock music is used in her climax entry scene, rock itself is rebel]. I felt the film maker immature to deal such a subject. He finds the solution is Killing a person, and Chopping otherOne's sex organ. This is something we already seen in many popular english and other language movies.. Is that the right way? Or what it concluded.?

K.. Let's come to this place, "I'd problem because you used me and not a problem when i leaves you, but you are losing a person whom you loved"
Finally this idiot tells "I will come if i miss you"
What rubbish is that, why the film maker holds such stupid moralities?

Using, tickling scenes and dialogues to receive claps and laughs in theater,which means, our directors goes upto any extend or handle any subject in their own way. They don't care what they told, what they delivered and what impact made out of that. At least they have to realize whether they have any sense about the social responsibility they have as a person dealt with an art...!

all this new trend of relationship in malayalam films (with apple ipad, mobile SMSs, FB) spreads 'false consciousness' over the society. Society, Reality and truth is far away from all this....
Murali Margassery

Murali Margassery said...

Mr. Nikhil. I agree with you in many ways. See i strongly believe all the art-forms includes movies, will communicate with people. If we take that point. What caters in 22FK and how it reach to the people...? I strongly believes our male-dominated society carries some rubbish social norms/values. But the director, AshiQ Abu cannot say something like that..?

A girl who started flirting with a guy, and believes she is safe in his place to live. from that point the conflict started. Nothing wrong about live in together, or denies the morality of virginity keeping process [Its something the male values of Kerala society, but woman need not suppress herself for that] but here that even happened after she receives the marriage assurance, and she says without any hesitation in film "i'm not virgin". Why do the film maker made that girl put her into that stand? [the movie caters she rebels some system which made upon the society-rock music is used in her climax entry scene, rock itself is rebel]. I felt the film maker immature to deal such a subject. He finds the solution is Killing a person, and Chopping otherOne's sex organ. This is something we already seen in many popular english and other language movies.. Is that the right way? Or what it concluded.?

K.. Let's come to this place, "I'd problem because you used me and not a problem when i leaves you, but you are losing a person whom you loved"
Finally this idiot tells "I will come if i miss you"
What rubbish is that, why the film maker holds such stupid moralities?

Using, tickling scenes and dialogues to receive claps and laughs in theater,which means, our directors goes upto any extend or handle any subject in their own way. They don't care what they told, what they delivered and what impact made out of that. At least they have to realize whether they have any sense about the social responsibility they have as a person dealt with an art...!

all this new trend of relationship in malayalam films (with apple ipad, mobile SMSs, FB) spreads 'false consciousness' over the society. Society, Reality and truth is far away from all this....
Murali Margassery

nikhimenon said...

@ Murali Margassery..
totally agree with you..
mvies like this mite cater to a few fb/social media youth..reality is something else though...!

binoy said...

22 f ktm is a revenge drama-no doubt.like all revenge dramas it has some entertain value in mass-truely this value gripped only in law aesthetic sense-so i feel it is not fair to judge in this movie as in the group of recent middle path movies like PRANCHIYETTAN AND THE SAINT or BEAUTIFUL. it s only a lawer class stuff ,years back v clapped for them then v throw out.our studied females ,pls try 2 understand that v the malayalam film viewers surpass the movies of CROSS BELT MONEY.
ignore all the logical falls ,over acting ,ethically challenged script of 22 f ktm.

i wondered that how a fake film can easily sell as a feminist movie in kerala ?

thank u nikhil,4 ur boldness 2 say that.it may b attacked as a Chauvinist view.if it so, only god can save them.


and anybody know the name of the hindi film that heroine (actress-urmila ) cut down the penniss ?

nikhimenon said...

binoy,
thank you for your feedback

Anish said...

Urmila movie is 'Ek hasina thi' directed by Sriram Ragavan

Cijo said...

well.. all of U... first of all..there is no such a rule that every movie or literary work contain a message to the general public... and most don't even expect that... was a different movie experience as the director promised us... no such attempt was made in past as far as Malayalam film industry is talked about...seriously... no BULLSHIT...
and TESSA ABRAHAM is an inspiration for to all those girls who are called VICTIMS..errrrr!!! is there any other word???? Seriously... there are things like that happening around.... How do u think that Sex rackets are working??? how do u think that the girls in Kamathipura, GB road, Budhwarpet are created?? most girls have a history of a cheater lover.... How suryanelli, Ice cream scandals?? similar situations.... So Ashique Abu displayed some serious courage to say that Girls are not actually POWERLESS.... and this film wasn't portraying that every male should be seen with distrust... And more over Malayalam movie is in deep shit.... so plz help those people who are giving it a hand....plz let me escape from those lengthy english dialogues by super cops and DISHYUM DISHYUM by old obese super stars....please.... Don't let them ROB US....

Anonymous said...

I must tell its definitely influenced by the Korean movie from the Vengeance series. The third movie "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance". Even the dialogues matches in some instances. Like when she is in jail, someone says "You are an Angel". Same theme but not raped. She becomes tough in jail and bails out for vengeance with the help of her jail mates friends. Sounds Familiar?

ann said...

this movie is definitely a good movie anyone who says otherwise is talking crap i dont agree with the sexual promiscuity shown in the film but everything else is superb. its been so long since i got the chills after seeing a movie that too a malayalam movie. although its not a family movie it is a must watch film. thanks to the director, fahad ,reema, prathatp pothan and the whole crew for such an awesome film.

nikhimenon said...

ann..
you can watch the movie as many times as you want.No probs...!

Anonymous said...

I watch the movie.Eventhough many scenes are copied from forign movies(hard candy,kill bill etc),the message it give to those arrogent men who think no woman can hurt them is important.The most contraversial scene in this movie seems to be the one in which tessa surgically removes cyril's penis.As a man i know how terrifying this is to a man.Personally speaking, even though my male ego is kicking my head,i will justify tessa's act.I think she does this not for the sole reason that she has been sexually exploited,but also for sending her to jail and ruining her career.Girls in our country are taught from a very young age that they are not supposed to do any violent act.But the fact is that by understanding the weak spots in human anatomy they can get away from a potential sexual violence.We all know male genitals are the most vulnerable organs in a human body(especially the testicles).Woman and girls just cannot imagine the amount of pain they can inflict to a man's testicles. So all girls should be taught from a very young age about a man's anatomic weakness.The next point i am going to make might provoke some feminist.If tessa had done this just because she has been sexually abused, then i will say that she had crossed the limit.Eventhough i can understant the physical and emotional trouma a rape victim had to go through,it cannot be compared with the problems of a man whose genitials has been brutally removed.A rape victim can slowly lead a normal life and she is still a woman.But if a man's genitials are removed (particularly testicles)then he is no longer a man.This is a much more emotionally painful state when compared with the case of a rape victim.If you compare the pain levels,then also abusing a man's testicles is 1000 times painful than a rape.It is said kicking a man's testicles is painful than a child birth.So dear girls and women what i am trying to say is that you can use the vulnerability of a man's testicles as a self defense move,but please don't use it to torture men.After all we all came from a testis......

Anonymous said...

ebook for statistics for business solutions http://audiobookscollection.co.uk/fr/God-s-Problem/p10410/ free spirulina culture ebook [url=http://audiobookscollection.co.uk/fr/Earthquake-Engineering-Handbook/p139642/]fashion photogrphy ebook[/url] ebook ingenieria

Anonymous said...

I every time spent my half an hour to read this website's articles every day along with a cup of coffee.

my web blog: how much should you weigh

Unknown said...

Expected more scenes of Reema!

Locomente said...

I really dont think that movies can influence so much... But then, as a medium, it tells us that it is ok to take revenge and it is not so cool to rape... Maybe the movie says that when women raise their voices, men's power is gone and therefore, asks to underplay... But I really dont know

nikhimenon said...

@locomente.
well said