What a Tamil Film Showed Me About Creative Accountability
When millions are spent on films that glorify violence under the guise of entertainment, we can’t rage at the systems in place, when we creatives perpetuate this terribly faulty world.
The last few years have been a battle to figure out what my value as an artist and creative designer is. Through it all I have learnt and unlearnt many a lesson.
When Branding Meets Patriarchy on Screen
My work has pivoted to more visual branding and trying to help other women and creatives. Because we all need a leg up in this world. That means I’ve noticed so many strange and faulty practices and it intrigues me.
Like today I watched this Tamil movie on a waiting screen and it made me realise something I remembered reading a long time ago.
“You have a duty to the public to be mindful of your craft and how you share it with the world.”(I paraphrase, naturally, because faulty human means faulty memory too)
What this gem meant though was how we portray our art or words in the world needed to empower the world not create divisions or spread hate. The film’s plot? Crazy stalker woman who manipulated situations.
So of course hero in typical patriarchy yelled and shamed her (removed her dupatta in front of a crowd, that’s shameful for a woman even if she is clothed completely). She died a tragic death and her dad got revenge on hero’s family. Movie concludes with hero watching his woman get beat up by dad baddie, after watching this a little the hero then saves his woman, beats everyone in style and dramatically exits.
What struck me the most?
A very typical patriarchal movie where woman can’t be forward or they are nuts. Where woman are weak and need to be humiliated and beat up to let a man rescue them. Apparently fists solve everything. And a pure woman always wears white.
My artistic brain noticed the colours, the angles and the in your face symbolism between the two women portrayed in the film. The stalker woman was really pretty, but hey, she was vocal, while the other woman was demure, quiet and subservient.
Colours : the ‘too bold’ woman wore bright hues like reds, while the ‘pure’ woman dressed in whites and cool tones.
Branding : men can and will shame women, rescue them; and solve everything with violence. Women cannot stand up for themselves nor have a voice, they must wait, suffer and be saved. All ‘on brand’ with patriarchal storytelling.
Message : in patriarchal fashion, assertive women are dangerous and women should be weak to be rescued by a man.
A few notable things worth mentioning too: Woman can’t chase after guys. Men will protect their woman alone, the crowd will watch all this and not step in. Oh and my all-time favourite, the cops are quite useless and always late.
What We Create Matters
As a designer and storyteller, I’m realising more than ever that what we create isn’t neutral. It shapes mindsets. Normalises harm. Justifies power imbalances.
We creatives have one mission - to entertain.
But nowhere does it dictate that we lean into the wrong that the world perpetuates.When millions are spent on films that glorify humiliation and violence under the guise of entertainment, we can’t rage at the systems in place, when we perpetuate a terribly faulty world.
We creatives may not always have a massive stage—but we do have accountability and responsibility on our shoulders (something that we learn as a creative). Which means that we need to :
To question the defaults
To challenge what’s ‘normal’
To make space for stories that empower rather than degrade
I’m ashamed that this is what we a
re reduced to. The world does need more angry women and I'll do my part, trying to make sense of the world and the art we create in it and make space for better content out there.
Comments