Unfortunate Kushboo

I just read in a previously dated issue of The Deccan Chronicle that Kushboo has once again been asked to appear in court. This time for something that she said about the abuse and murder of a minor girl in a hotel in Chennai. It seems as though her woes are not going to end for sometime though her T.V show seems to be proceeding unperturbed. I am hardly interested in the political connections to her stories but here's a look at some other related stories and news.

Months ago, before the Kushboo incident director Thangar Bachan made some derogatory remarks about the heroines and female artistes of the Tamil film industry and for which he was forced to make a public apology. A photograph also appeared in the "The Hindu" of the director doing so.

I am sure the public must be having their last laugh at all this. Their letters in "The Hindu" express their anguish at all this hypocrisy. What are we supposed to believe? That debauchery and excesses hardly exist in the world of showbizz?

Way back in the 80's (I am sure it was the years 85 - 86) an unusual article appeared in the magazine Sunday (it might have been another magazine, I am not sure which one) but the article was titled "Sexy Sania bares it all". It was the talk of the hostel when we visited our classmate's room there. It was all about a low key actress who had spilled the beans on all the affairs and relationships she had had to ascend her way up the ladder of stardom. From someone who made a pass at her to physical relationships she mentioned every major guy she was involved with. I remember she mentioning Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Vinod Khanna although I do not recall exactly the relationship she had with them. She also gave details of the wild partying and other similar gatherings in these circles and the wild things that had happened to her there. I also clearly recall how she frankly spoke of her fascination for some of these stars too. Mind you, this was in the 80's. Two decades have gone by and you can imagine the situation now.

Next the acclaimed and moving Malayalam film "Lekhayude Maranam, Oru flashback" which actually depicted the life of the late tamil film actress Shoba comes to mind. Even if it were a first hand account of the exploitation and excesses about the film world and their nexus with the network or pimps and customers there was hardly any outcry. What shook my out of my senses was a film made in Malayalam ridiculing the ways of the Chief minister of Tamil Nadu and her friend/aide and even politically there was hardly a protest. Besides depictions of real life stories and happenings, the scale of violence, vulgarity of language (I couldn't believe it, you can almost hear Vijay say the "O" expletive in the movie "Sachin") and obscenity in the scenes have all reached intolerable levels and yet, all of them are forgiven.

My tip for the stars and directors is this. Do whatever you want, say whatever you want on film and you can get away with it. Off screen, MUM's the word.