"Uyir" - Views about this recent Tamil film

Kamla · Aug 6, 2006

Enjoyed the thread!

Dear Varalotti

What a great response from you on this thread. Reading some of the responses from my young friends on this topic, I was surprised and amazed. Such concern and such an attitude towards maintaining the woman's responsibility and the reasons they gave as to why they object to such films were both sensible and reasonable. All the same, it did not make sense 'to me'. I did not respond to Vidya's post due to lack of time. But it was very provoking. Now, reading your post somewhat satisfies me and thanks for formulating beautifully and I too subscirbe to your thoughts on this matter.
Besides the man-woman equation, there is also the matter of 'freedom of expression'. If we start banning a certain portrayal of woman or an incident that might provoke society as a whole, we ill be heading towards a regressed society. ( Aren't we all trying to avoid exactly that? ) In that case, we can start banning books starting from Tagore to our own Sridhar!!
Object, we can, protest, yes. But please, one cannot go shooting and whipping people who bring the taboo topics out of the closets into the open. Doing that will neither help the society nor eradicate the root cause for evil.
My two cents!

L, Kamla

Nila · Aug 7, 2006

Relationships portrayed in Aasai & Vaali too were NOT accepted

Hello Varalotti,

I am trying to respond to your 1st message in this thread. I wanted to long back, but by the time I got to post here this thread is grown 'Hanuman' tail long :mrgreen:.

Ok, coming back to the response...

You mentioned about people keeping quiet for the wrong relationships portrayed in Aasai & Vaali. I do agree there was not a big protest for the relationships portrayed in those movies as being protested for Uyir. But it does not mean those relationships were accepted. May be more than the wrong relationships, the villainism of Prakashraj & Ajith to achieve those relationships got portrayed predominantly that people lost focus to protest on those relationships.

You won't believe how sad I felt for the Simran character & Suvalakshmi character in both those movies. I could not imagine in real life a woman undergoing so much problems because of a close relation 'brother-in-law' at home. It is so much of a mental tension that could not be easily told to someone and solved too!

Ok, coming to the essence of the discussion...

A wrong unlawful relation is definitely not acceptable be it claimed by a man or a woman. But our society has got tuned to the fact that mistakes by men are acceptable - 'avan aambalai yeppadi venumna irukalaam' factor;
'Pombalai ippadiyum irupaala' factor.

It is very fulfilling to know some men like you protest against this kind of thinking and are voicing for equality of women in all aspects. Men like you can make this world a heaven to women. Hats off to you...your wife should be really gifted. (BTW, do you follow the equality factor at home? Should be asking Mrs. Varalotti for the fact )

Regards,

Nila

varalotti · Aug 7, 2006

That's A Good Question!

Dear Nila,

I am happy that it has occured to you to ask a direct question right on my face. And for such direct questions I am duty-bound to give honest answers.
Coming to the equality factor at my home I want to give you the following points based on which you make your own judgment:

a) When I go out in the road, whether with my wife or without her, I do look at beautiful women passing by. Being a writer I firmly believe in the poetic line, 'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. ' And woman is one of the most beautiful creations of God.
I have many sins on my account, but hypocrisy is surely not one of them.

b) But I am absolutely faithful to my wife - that is if you don't count looking at other women as a breach of fidelity.

c) In other matters I do think that I have given as much equality as my circumstances can afford. But in matters like these you should not take my word on face value. You should ask Mrs. Varalotti. And after hearing her give me another opportunity of being heard.

A perfect equality is my cherished goal. But we accountants are very practical people. We would like to test the waters before we plunge.

You can pm me for further information. If you want Mrs. Varalottis contact number please pm me.
regards,
varalotti

vidyasarada · Dec 9, 2006

One person's meat is another's poison !

Hi all !
Uyir was definitely a slap in the face of traditional Tamil cinema women. Maybe it was made just for the "shock value", whatever. But I found nothing objectionable in it, though I belong to the "older generation" People are not homogenously similar. Each one is different with his/her own characteristic personality. So the Uyir-lady's character cannot be taken as something general, indicative or typical.

But Sangeetha was superb ! Loved her acting.:clap

In this connection, pl. read "My Story - I married my brother's wife" in the August 2006 issue of Readers Digest. Also an old Hindi Movie "Ek Chadar Maili Si" (Hemamalini and Rishi Kapoor) BIL -SIL unions are not all that earthshakingly sinful in some societies ( that too, Indian rural societies) it seems. (As an aside i would like to add that marrying a maternal uncle or his son is an accepted norm in dravidian societies but is viewed with horror in the West or even in north india as incestuous ! To each his own !

Vidyasarada