In a recent interview for a Netflix documentary, director SS Rajamouli addressed the controversy surrounding a scene in his hit film Baahubali. In the scene, the main character Sivudu (played by Prabhas) removes Avantika’s (Tamannaah Bhatia) dirty clothes and transforms her appearance.
Many viewers and critics had criticized this scene, calling it the “Rape of Avantika” and accusing Rajamouli of showing non-consensual behavior. However, in the documentary, Rajamouli explained his reasoning behind the scene. “Avantika is a warrior, but she doesn’t want to be one. She wants to be a beautiful woman,” Rajamouli said. He explained that even when Sivudu is hurt by an arrow, he is still focused on Avantika’s looks, showing her desire to embrace her femininity.
Rajamouli acknowledged that some people were offended by the scene, but he believes they misunderstood his intent. He said, “Showing women in a certain way, even though we have powerful characters like Sivagami and Devasena, some people criticize; I think they criticize but they don’t understand the context of it.” Rajamouli maintains that the scene was not meant to be interpreted as an assault or exploitation.
The director’s comments have reignited the debate around the scene. Some people defend Rajamouli’s artistic vision, while others still believe the scene was inappropriate and insensitive. As a prominent filmmaker in India, Rajamouli’s perspective definitely highlights the complexities of portraying gender dynamics in films. But in the end, art should be seen as art only.
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