#MeToo: Mohanlal's attitude reflects the ‘lethargic, taken for granted patriarchal mindset’: Padmapriya

Superstar Mohanlal, who is also the President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA), recently called the

#MeToo

movement a passing fad, and said it does not have any relevance for the Malayalam film industry. “In fact, #MeToo is turning into a fashion statement now. Anything of the sort will have a short lifespan and will soon die down,” said the actor, at a time when M-Town is still mired in controversies stemming from the actress assault case. The comment has evidently miffed many in the industry and progressive minds outside of it.

According to actress Padmapriya, Mohanlal's viewpoint on the subject and his body language in an interview post the press conference reflects the ‘lethargic, taken for granted patriarchal attitude’.

“It assumes that an entire subset of human population, that is women, are there to be subservient to the mindset of the OTHER and that's OK. Given the complex and deep timeline that #metoo accompanies, being a mute spectator to me is still agreeable but denying the existence or understanding of what the movement is and calling it passé makes me wonder if such people automatically become participants of the group that works actively in strengthening sexism -- an act that severely divides human interaction, making them unequal, unsafe and unhealthy. I believe the #Metoo movement is here to stay,” she says.


“It has proven so by calling out the callous attitudes we have all been witnessing first. Working sustainable solutions that push for equality then naturally follows,” adds Padmapriya.