Debutant Rakesh Gopan’s thriller 100 Degree Celsius has not gone down well with a section of the audience. A Trivandrum-based psychologist has filed a case against the director and the Censor Board, citing that the film shows women in a poor light and can give out wrong messages to society.
Complainant Dr Manoj Narayanan Namboothiri says, “Though the film is touted as a woman-centric movie and even tickets were given out free for the first set of women audience, it actually sends out wrong messages about them. As a psychologist and viewer, I would say that it can also instigate crime and encourage people to cover up criminal acts. A director is entitled to creative liberties, but Rakesh Gopan should not have misused it. He should apologise to women.”
Interestingly, after watching the film the first time with his family, the litigant had put up a status on his social networking site praising it. “However, my wife pointed out various instances in the film which give a wrong impression, post which I watched it again, alone. Convinced that she is right, I decided to file a complaint,” says Dr Manoj, who adds, “Negative elements in films make an easy impression on our youth, as compared to anything positive portrayed in stories. The same was true about Drishyam, at which even cops had pointed their fingers.”
he complainant had also taken the makers of Prithviraj-starrer Urumi to court. “The film had shown the age-old Chirakkal royal family in a poor light and also twisted historical facts. We withdrew the case after three sittings as I was pressed for time. However, I am not planning to do the same with this movie,” he says.
Meanwhile, filmmaker Rakesh Gopan is unperturbed. “It’s a film, and that’s how it should be approached. All it tries to showcase is how a particular group of women handle a situation. I stand by my work.”
Meghana Raj, Bhamaa, Shwetha Menon, Ananya, Haritha and Sethu play the lead roles in the film.
