Trigger warning: sexual violence
South Indian actress, Bhavana Menon’s appearance at the recently held opening ceremony of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), was welcomed by the audience with a thunderous applause and standing ovation.
Bhavana at IFFK. I have watched the clip sooo many times pic.twitter.com/6camScetH2
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) March 19, 2022
Filmmaker Ranjith, chairman of the Chalachitra Academy, announced Bhavana as the special guest of the ceremony. Wearing a traditional Kerala saree, the actress participated in the inaugural lamp lighting ceremony, and made a short speech before her admirers.
This is refreshing news for me, as someone who has previously seen the audience applaud like that for politicians and public figures, who make misogynistic and victim-blaming comments. This moment—where Bhavana made her public appearance—will serve as an important one for the survivors of sexual violence.
Women have to endure the burden of honour, and loss of dignity as well as chastity, in a society that perpetuates sexism and misogyny. As a matter of fact, survivors of sexual violence tend to face more dehumanisation and scrutiny compared to the perpetrators themselves.
The Way South Indian Films Depict Sexual Violence
In Malayalam, sexual assault is called “maanabhangam”, which literally translates to breaking of dignity or respect. Sexual violence is mainly about attacking and destroying a woman’s dignity. This can be seen in several films that depict sexual violence.
Men who commit these crimes are seen standing or walking in a tough, almost “heroic” manner, with their shirts open and chests widened. In the climax scene of the Malayalam film “Ore Mukham”, the sexual assault and murder of a woman are shown in this manner.
In the film “Lion”, Kavya Madhavan’s character is harassed by one of the villains who makes her “look like a victim” of sexual assault, by grabbing her face and rubbing off her bindi. He then walks out with his shirt open to “show off” his deed. The onlookers are more bothered about the state she is in, than about apprehending him. Her mother keeps talking about how her life is over now.
In the Tamil film “Pokkiri”, the villain asks a few goons to attack Asin’s character, after she turns him down. He wants to ensure that no one else will marry her. Again, the goons attack and tear her clothes to make her “look like a rape victim”. She also has bruises on her face. One of them asks her: “Now that you have been raped, who will respect you?”
I often wondered why instances of sexual violence continued to be depicted with such a dehumanising visual grammar.
Why Bhavana’s Public Appearance Is Courageous
In real life, we see celebrities receiving applause for making misogynist statements. Tamil filmmaker K Bhagyaraj made victim-blaming and anti-women comments a couple of years ago, in front of clapping audience members. I also remember how the thumbnail of a YouTube video described his words as “bold” and “courageous”.
Societal misogyny works such that women have to endure the consequences of such transgressions. Bhavana making an appearance, as a survivor of sexual violence, before a media and culture that still attacks women, serves as a powerful symbol. Her appearance inverts the very visual grammar that expects women to stay indoors and be silent.
She is also set to make her comeback in Malayalam cinema soon, after her last appearance in “Adam Joan” (2017).
Five years ago, she was kidnapped by several men and sexually abused in a moving car. The main perpetrator of the case, Pulsar Suni, was arrested by the Kerala police before he could surrender. As per the police investigation, her colleague Dileep is the mastermind of the crime. Currently, the case is still in the courts and the proceedings are on.
Dileep himself had applauded Bhavana’s courage, by cheekily mentioning how ‘most women are driven to suicide’ when they endure events like this… Meh!
How Bhavana Fought Back Against Her Trauma
Bhavana finally decided to end her anonymity and make a public statement regarding her experiences. She sat down with journalist Barkha Dutt and The News Minute’s Dhanya Rajendran ,during the “We The Women” event. She shared her experiences with the legal system and opened up about her journey as a survivor.
Bhavana making herself known and present before the public, is a crucial step towards reclaiming public spaces and tackling systemic misogyny. Survivors shouldn’t be ashamed of anything as they have done nothing wrong.
They should not be dehumanised. Their courage should be lauded and appreciated. She earned every bit of the applause that she got at the IFFK.
That being said, no one deserves to endure trauma and pain. Trauma doesn’t make a person stronger. It’s their process of adapting, overcoming, and keeping on going, that makes them stronger!