Actor Srindaa, who was last seen in the Malayalam film Kuruthi, called out Kairali TV for telecasting derogatory content on female actors in the Malayalam industry on a show called Loud Speaker. In response to this, one of the show’s anchors Sneha Sreekumar clarified that the views expressed in the show are not her own, but those of a satirical fictional character.
Kairali TV, a popular Malayalam broadcast channel, runs a show called Loud Speaker, in which the anchors – Sneha Sreekumar and Reshmi Anil – discuss the happenings in the film industry in a “satirical manner.”
In a recent show, the anchors were seen passing derogatory comments on the attire and photo shoots of actors Srindaa, Esther Anil, Gopika Suresh, and Anusree, among several others. The anchors said that Esther, who played the younger daughter of Mohanlal’s character in Drishyam, is doing photo shoots to show that she has “grown up.” They also remarked on Anusree’s photo shoot at a waterfall.
A social media user named Arv Anchal was one of the firsts to call out the channel and anchors for defaming the artists. Anchal’s post garnered traction and was shared widely by other social media users who also condemned the program.
Following this, Srindaa took to social media and bashed the television and its anchors for entertaining toxic content. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “Just a friendly reminder that this is 2021, and this shit won’t run anymore. When everyone (well almost) is trying to unlearn toxic behavioural patterns, stigmas and perceptions, fighting for women’s rights, and actively creating a space for everyone to love their bodies, sadly, here we are taking 20000 steps back (sigh).”
The actor said she was calling them out as she “doesn’t want any woman/ girl growing up in an environment where conversations like this dictate the norm.”
“It’s time to be a lot more responsible about the kind of content that goes up, especially when you serve as a platform that has the power to influence change,” she said, and added that such “horribly backward views” should be discouraged. “So that the little girls and boys that watch your platform, learn that their bodies are theirs, and theirs alone. That no one, not even random chechis and chetans on their TV / mobile screens can tell them what to do /what to wear.”
Recommended
Reacting to the criticism against the show, anchor Sneha shared her own social media post, in which she said in Malayalam, “Reshmi and I play fictional characters called Susheela and Thangu in Loud Speaker. What that character says are not my personal opinions. These two characters, who are jealous and mischevous, represent people who post bad comments on actors’ photo shoots.”
Sneha also noted that after these two characters criticised the actors, there is another (voice) character called Jamalu, towards the end of the show, who explains that everyone has the right to take photos, wear what they like, post them on social media, and that photo shoots are part of a film star’s profession.
“Those who watch the full program will understand that the show spoke from the actors’ perspective. This clip circulating on social media is not the complete video of the show. I am sad that this clip is making people sad, knowingly or unknowingly,” she added.