What a storm! Radha Ravi’s rambling speech at the teaser launch of Nayanthara’s latest film breached all forms of decency. Small wonder it has been the talking point not just among social activists and journalists but also the general public.
Pardon me for this sweeping statement but a majority of Indian men have no respect for women. This struck me when a tall, fair, beautiful young girl from Germany came to intern in a web portal where I was working some years ago. She stayed with me and became an integral part of the family. The first thing that struck me when I saw her was how this beautiful girl was going to survive in Chennai, going out on her own to do reporting.
Then it struck me like lightning and I told her: Most Indian men do not respect women so please take care how you deal with them. I must say she managed quite well as she was widely travelled for an 18-year-old and street smart at that.
But it was a revelation for me, too, about Indian men. If you are single, you are fair game for anything. And if you are single and in the public eye like an actress, you are treated like public property.
At one point of time there was a small-time actress living next door to our house in T Nagar. There was a man living with her, whom she claimed was her husband. Once a group of hooligans almost beat down her door when her husband was not around. The men in our family had to rush to her rescue. The hooligans were indignant, saying they could desire her like the man who lived with her.
It is small wonder then that Radha Ravi tried to drag the name of Nayanthara in the mud. But it is heartening that he ended up with egg on his face.