Social media users criticised the senior actor for body shaming the filmmaker and asked for an apology.
Mammootty with director Geo Baby after wrapping up the shoot for 'Kaathal: The Core' movie. (Mammukka/Twitter)
Jovial and rotund with a handlebar moustache. Generations of Malayalis are familiar with the “shape” of the mythical Asura king, Mahabali, who visits his subjects on the Thiruvonam day in the Malayalam month of Chingam every year.
A few years ago, Kerala debated the “shape” of the benevolent king.
While some argued that the mythical character ought to be physically fit — complete with a six-pack abdomen — since he was a king; others countered saying they would go with the familiar figure.
Body shaming had not then become a major issue — or part of political correctness — in Kerala, where humour has been a quintessential part of the average Malayali.
In schools and colleges, nicknames were often coined based on physical features, and no one took offence to them since they were all in good humour.
Today, nicknames coined based on physical features are frowned upon. Political correctness has taken over, and movie titles such as Da Thadiya will most likely come under fire.
Take, for instance, the recent developments in Kerala, including one in which a leading movie artiste had to apologise for an innocuous, on-the-spur-of-the-moment, remark.
Social media is flooded with praise for Malayalam superstar Mammootty after he publicly apologised for the remark he made during the teaser launch of Jude Anthany Joseph’s directorial 2018 which was held on Tuesday, 13 December.
2018 showcases the stories of the catastrophic flood that Kerala witnessed in the year 2018. Mammooty was invited as the chief guest for the teaser launch of the movie.
During his speech, the actor remarked: “Even though Jude does not have hair on his head, he is an intelligent person.”
The comment was seen as body shaming by the netizens and, soon, criticism poured in.
After social media users pointed out that the comment by one of the “two big Ms” of Malayalam cinema has hurt people with baldness or body dysmorphisms, the actor was quick to respond to it. On Wednesday, he took to his Facebook account and tendered a sincere apology.
View this post on Instagram
However, filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph reacted by saying that people misunderstood the comments made by the superstar. He asserted that he knew the love Mammootty has for him and he used the words as “appreciation and nothing else”.
The young director also stated that “if people are really concerned about his hair loss, they should raise their voices against shampoo firms and the Bengaluru water supplying board for the same”.
Celebrities like singer Sithara Krishnakumar and actor Aswathi Srikanth appreciated the apology issued by Mammootty.
Sithara Krishnakumar’s post on Instagram.
This is the second such incident in the state within the last week.
Kerala Culture Minister VN Vasavan compared Congress’s downfall by body shaming the short and slender Indrans, one of the prominent Malayalam actors who is also a part of 2018.
The minister said, “Earlier Congress was like Amitabh Bachchan in Kerala, now they are like Indrans.” This comment drew massive social media outrage against the minister.
The actor did not appear to be unduly concerned though, responding to the outcry with “I know what I am” and also saying he was not hurt by the minister’s comment.
Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty, in November, said that the education department is considering conducting awareness classes against body shaming as the minister himself faced it.
A comment under one of his Facebook posts suggested that it was time Sivankutty reduced his paunch, prompting the minister to note that body shaming was occurring in society “at various levels, though it is said in a loving and sweet manner”.
He said that he replied to the comment by describing body shaming as a heinous act. “There are many of us who have lost sanity being victims of body shaming,” he was quoted as saying.
The Left government in Kerala is now facing the wrath of the public after one of its ministers publicly body shamed a celebrity.
Judy Anthany Joseph is best known for his films Om Shanti Oshana, and Saras.
His upcoming movie 2018, with the tagline “Everyone is a Hero”, comes with a star-studded cast including Tovino Thomas, Vineeth Srinivasan, Kunchako Boban, Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, Indrans, Narain, Lal, Aju Varghese, and Kalaiyarasan.
Mammootty, who was last seen in the psychological thriller Rorschach, has a slew of films like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Christopher, Kaathal: The Core, and Kadugannawa Oru Yathra in the pipeline.
Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam premiered at the ongoing International Film Festival of Kerala.
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