Why anti-caste films bother you, Gautham Vasudev ‘Menon’? Because no takers for your movies glorifying extrajudicial killings, stalking and toxicity anymore?

However, erstwhile a trendsetter, Menon has struggled to regain his footing successful the manufacture implicit the past fewer years. Even mounting speech the troubled travel of his delayed Dhruva Natchathiram, it’s nary concealed that his vocation has been connected a downward trajectory, with his caller movie Dominic and The Ladies’ Purse too failing to resonate. Moreover, adjacent his once-celebrated films person travel nether scrutiny successful caller years for their problematic themes and representations.

Amidst each this, the filmmaker besides stirred contention with immoderate comments successful a caller interview. In a speech with Behindwoods TV, Gautham Menon, without naming anyone, stated that films addressing casteism are nary longer relevant. Implying that the discriminatory signifier nary longer exists, helium ‘explained’ that this is wherefore specified films are often acceptable successful the ’80s oregon ’90s. “These are not the stories we are looking for. I don’t deliberation those stories request to beryllium told anymore,” helium stated, earlier claiming successful the aforesaid interrogation that his surname Menon was his household sanction and not his caste location, an absurd argument.

His words not lone exposure the emblematic hypocrisy of caste-blind elites — who contradict the beingness of casteism portion proudly utilizing their savarna identities arsenic surnames — and his intentional oblivion to societal issues but besides item wherefore helium has go a declining fig arsenic Menon seems incapable to grasp that radical person evolved and that their societal sensibilities and governmental consciousness advanced. Therefore, 1 cannot blasted those who consciousness that Menon’s vexation — with films addressing casteism — stems from a consciousness of desperation, arsenic determination is nary longer a ample instrumentality basal for his stories that glorify stalking, staring, impersonation, extrajudicial killings, homophobia, transphobia and toxicity.

R Madhavan and Reema Sen successful Minnale. (Credit: IMDb)

Since Menon said, “These are not the stories we are looking for,” it’s worthy examining the benignant of stories helium has told. Long earlier Raanjhanaa (2013) romanticised highly toxic antheral behaviour — specified arsenic stalking and manipulation — peddling it arsenic love, the filmmaker’s Minnale (2001) sympathised with young men who engaged successful specified practices. Not lone does the film’s protagonist, Rajesh (R Madhavan), stalk Reena Joseph (Reema Sen) aft falling for her astatine archetypal sight, but helium besides gathers idiosyncratic details astir her without her cognition and impersonates her fiancé, Rajiv (Abbas). However, erstwhile his deception is exposed, helium plays the victim, expecting sympathy nether the pretext of ‘true love’. Despite cheating her outright and committing individuality theft, helium besides wonders wherefore Reena doesn’t recognize his ‘love’ for her.

Under the guise of the age-old adage “all’s just successful emotion and war”, which men person agelong utilized to warrant immoral actions without scrutiny, GVM, too, reinforced the conception that resorting to amerciable behaviour was acceptable if 1 had ‘true love’. And with Harris Jayaraj’s ethereal euphony successful the background, everything would look excessively cute.

Despite Menon’s assertion that casteism is simply a happening of the past, it is emphasised successful Minnale that Rajesh is simply a vegetarian Brahmin. In 1 scene, helium besides remarks, “There were galore girls successful our college. Have I ever talked astir immoderate of them? There were 2 gorgeous Iyer girls from Chidambaram and adjacent a stunning Kerala girl. But I ne'er pursued them.” Out of countless ways, Menon’s choice to invoke caste portion discussing quality reveals overmuch astir him. Notably, the caste-highlighting surname absent successful Minnale abruptly appeared erstwhile Menon remade the movie successful Hindi arsenic Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, wherever the leader was named Madhav Shastri, afloat embracing his Brahmin identity.

Suriya successful Kaakha Kaakha. (Credit: IMDb)

The communicative that Gautham Vasudev Menon deemed compelling capable to stock with the satellite adjacent romanticised extrajudicial killings. At a clip erstwhile Tamil bull dramas were becoming progressively formulaic, helium revolutionised the “righteous serviceman with a no-holds-barred attitude” archetype with Kaakha Kaakha (2003), introducing ACP Anbuselvan IPS (Suriya), an precocious brushwood specializer who deliberately avoids romanticist relationships to support a lone-wolf persona, keeping rivals from gaining leverage.

The film’s entreaty was besides heightened by the protagonist’s changeless voiceover, presenting the communicative arsenic his beingness flashing earlier his eyes. Centred astir a specialised constabulary portion led by Anbuselvan, wherever rules clasp small value successful their combat against organised transgression successful Chennai, Kaakha Kaakha glamorised constabulary officers, portraying them arsenic infallible, with nary motivation ambiguity, and this portrayal contributed to the heightened admiration for brushwood specialists arsenic it conveniently ignored the atrocities committed by police, including custodial murders, wherein the victims are mostly Bahujans. Let’s besides not hide that the sanction of Menon’s cameo relation successful the movie, which helium himself penned, was Vasudevan Nair.

Kamal Haasan successful Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu. (Credit: IMDb)

In his adjacent archetypal directorial Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, Gautham Vasudev Menon erstwhile again centred the communicative connected a righteous cop, DCP Raghavan IPS (Kamal Haasan), who, though not an brushwood specializer per se, is besides shown engaging successful extrajudicial killings of those liable for his wife’s execution and a serial slayer duo. Towards the end, Raghavan also, for perfectly nary reason, delivers an highly homophobic line, arsenic if the characters’ intersexual predisposition was (illogically) related to their transgression actions. Meanwhile, the film’s graphic depiction of rape further fuelled a disturbing inclination that continues successful cinema adjacent today.

Despite facing disapproval for glorifying constabulary brutality and extrajudicial killings — particularly successful the aftermath of incidents similar the Thoothukudi lawsuit wherever 2 men were “allegedly” sexually assaulted, tortured and killed — GVM expressed nary regret astir creating these films. When The Hindu questioned him astir it, helium gave a bizarre response, saying, “I person had policemen locomotion up to maine and say, ‘Naanga constabulary aanadhe unagalala dhan’ (We joined the constabulary unit inspired by your films).”

Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu besides highlighted conscionable however profoundly flawed Gautham Vasudev Menon’s thought of romance is, with Raghavan proposing to a pistillate (who aboriginal becomes his wife) conscionable 2 hours aft gathering her astatine a wedding. And no, helium doesn’t adjacent inquire her retired first, but jumps consecutive to matrimony simply due to the fact that “I knew from her eyes that she loved me.” For a elder cop, his ignorance to moving adjacent a basal inheritance cheque connected this implicit stranger, earlier asking her to walk the remainder of her beingness with him, speaks volumes astir his judgement, raising doubts astir whether specified an impulsive serviceman and his “Raghavan instincts” should beryllium trusted blindly. In fact, though this item added small to the communicative beyond providing immoderate penetration into his background, adjacent Raghavan is portrayed arsenic having a penchant for vegetarianism, arsenic evident successful 1 of his dialogues.

Interestingly, Pachaikili Muthucharam (2007) is his lone movie wherever characters look rightful consequences for their actions, but its method shortcomings and container bureau nonaccomplishment near it mostly forgotten.

Suriya and Sameera Reddy successful Vaaranam Aayiram. (Credit: IMDb)

In his semi-autobiographical Vaaranam Aayiram (2008), Gautham Vasudev Menon took creepiness to different level by introducing a father-son duo whose go-to means of expressing emotion is done obsessive stalking. In the archetypal instance, Krishnan (Suriya) wins implicit the ‘love of his life’ Malini (Simran) aft stalking her for a week — ne'er revealing himself astatine archetypal but ensuring radical astir her pass her of his love. Years later, their lad Suriya (also played by Suriya), inspired by his father’s tactics, takes things further, making them arsenic creepy arsenic imaginable and it begins with him staring unnervingly astatine a alien woman, Meghna (Sameera Reddy), connected a train. Worse still, the movie portrays her uncovering it instantly endearing.

Encouraged by her reaction, Suriya goes retired of his mode to way down her address, follows her home, and later, successful an adjacent much unsettling turn, flies from Chennai to California — wherever she aboriginal enrolls successful a people — to find her, each without her knowledge, and confess his ‘love’. Given however often women acquisition stalking and harassment successful existent life, Gautham Menon’s romanticisation of specified behaviours reflects his profoundly problematic knowing of women and love. The information that galore crimes statesman with a antheral stalking a pistillate nether the guise of emotion lone reinforces however unsafe this portrayal is.

Silambarasan TR and Trisha Krishnan successful Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. (Credit: IMDb)

GVM’s glorification of toxic relationships peaked with Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010). Despite Karthik (Silambarasan) and Jessie (Trisha) being walking reddish flags and their narration highly unhealthy, the movie was met with wide acclaim and is inactive revered arsenic a modern masterpiece. From stalking and non-consensual carnal advances (as seen successful the opus “Omana Penne”) to affectional manipulation, the movie normalised and romanticised profoundly problematic behaviours. Though the publication lacked extent and the characters lone superficially developed, Gautham elevated the movie done stunning visuals, beardown dialogues and the contributions of a skilled method squad — each of which helped cement its iconic status. While the movie claims that Karthik and Jessie are genuinely successful love, by the end, 1 can’t assistance but wonder: did they really emotion each other, oregon were they simply drawn to the toxicity of 1 different and the unusual gratification they recovered successful mistreating and being mistreated by 1 another?

Caste makes its mode into this movie arsenic well. While Jessie (Trisha) is depicted arsenic belonging to the upper-caste Syrian Christian community, the movie states intelligibly that Karthik is simply a Veerakodi Vellalar. Although Menon could person framed the struggle successful their narration from a spiritual angle, his un/conscious determination to emphasise caste alternatively suggests that it remains a important origin adjacent today. Notably, erstwhile the movie was remade successful Hindi arsenic Ekk Deewana Tha (2012), Karthik’s quality was reimagined arsenic a Marathi Brahmin, and present too, caste is explicitly mentioned.

Meanwhile, his intelligence thriller Nadunisi Naaygal was thing much than a dampened experiment, wherever neither the intelligence extent nor the thriller aspects held unneurotic and the movie yet ended up arsenic a middling effort, simply featuring elements not usually recovered successful mainstream Tamil cinema.

Although Neethaane En Ponvasantham/Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu (2012) is arguably Gautham Vasudev Menon’s astir realistic romance film, tracing the improvement of an on-again, off-again narration from puerility to adulthood, its flawed execution importantly weakened its impact. Despite Ilaiyaraaja’s singular soundtrack and Samantha’s compelling performance, the movie struggled to permission a mark, with Gautham failing to adjacent adhd his signature interaction to the toxic moments successful the narrative.

He returned to the constabulary genre with Yennai Arindhaal (2015). While this movie showcased greater maturity successful storytelling and was a notable betterment implicit his erstwhile 2 bull movies, his long-standing obsession with glorifying uniformed officers remained unchanged. The film, similar its predecessors, overlooked the crimes committed by instrumentality enforcement officers and besides the systemic issues cops faced and focused simply connected an idealised, morally upright constabulary officer, placed arsenic the eventual unit against societal evils.

Though his aboriginal films Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada (2016) and Enai Noki Paayum Thota (2019) were little problematic — astatine slightest connected the aboveground — Gautham Menon’s fascination with uniformed forces was evident successful them arsenic well. Moreover, some films were overwhelmingly male-centric, with the women having small to nary power connected the people of events, contempt being conscionable arsenic affected by their consequences. The back-to-back setbacks of these films, contempt featuring Gautham’s signature elements and more, highlighted the diminishing interaction of his once-effective formula.

The 3 segments helium directed for the anthology films Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020), Paava Kadhaigal (2020) and Kutty Story (2021) were mostly forgettable, with nary leaving a lasting impact. Among them, the astir problematic was Vaanmagal successful Paava Kadhaigal, which presented an highly superficial and performative instrumentality connected kid intersexual maltreatment and rehabilitation. While the conception does not straight notation caste, it features capable hints to amusement that the protagonist and household beryllium to an upper-caste inheritance that considers menstruation an “impurity”.

Watch Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu trailer here:

When Gautham Vasudev Menon yet told the communicative of a non-elite protagonist successful Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu (2022), helium deviated from the fabric candy-like, ‘feel-good’ narratives helium had crafted for his savarna heroes. Instead, Muthu (Silambarasan) is shown to beryllium hailing from an highly impoverished inheritance and begins earning a surviving by joining the satellite of organised crimes, gradually climbing the ranks to go a gangster himself, arsenic if that’s the lone mode non-elites tin presume immoderate power.

While addressing Menon’s comments, it is besides important to notation the caller contention surrounding manager Varsha Bharath’s Bad Girl, produced by Vetrimaaran and presented by Anurag Kashyap. Shortly aft its teaser was released, the movie faced backlash, with galore accusing it of insulting the Brahmin community. However, the incidental besides exposed the deep-seated casteism that persists among people. While shaper Vetrimaaran bore the brunt of the criticism, Varsha, a Brahmin, and Anurag Kashyap faced importantly little scrutiny. This is contempt Varsha stating successful an interrogation that the movie is rooted successful her idiosyncratic experiences.

What makes this adjacent much troubling is that Pa Ranjith’s sanction excessively was dragged into the contention contempt having nary nonstop engagement with Bad Girl. The full occurrence not lone erased Varsha’s presence, illustrating however women are often sidelined adjacent erstwhile their enactment is nether scrutiny, but besides revealed the savarna audience’s entrenched intolerance towards Bahujan filmmakers, their increasing power and the stories they take to tell.

Yet, adjacent arsenic specified issues unfold astir him, Gautham Vasudev Menon appears oblivious to casteism and focused connected churning retired subpar films similar Dominic and The Ladies’ Purse, which besides highlights his mediocre knowing of trans practice and queer politics. Nonetheless, contempt his vocation being connected a downward spiral and his once-‘acclaimed’ films present facing aggravated scrutiny, Gautham Menon is inactive firmly established successful the industry. He should, hence, besides retrieve that not each Gautham tin proceed moving successful the industry, directing films, and securing dates of large stars similar Mammootty — effortlessly pulling disconnected projects, contempt consecutive failures and a estimation for delayed productions. Menons might beryllium capable to, but surely not each Gauthams.