Boys: Director Shankar's 2006 Tamil film faces a heated debate on responsibility in cinema

Shankar’s film ‘Boys’, released in 2003, has come back into public discussion after nearly 20 years. A recent bus incident in Kozhikode, Kerala, followed by a suicide case, arrests, and intense social media debates, made people recall scenes from 'Boys'. After this incident, many users started talking about how the film showed men crossing boundaries with women. Director Shankar is under scrutiny for those sequences. An old movie is now being re-evaluated on the current context of society and ethics.Viral scenes and growing criticismClips from the song ‘Enakkoru Girlfriend Venumada’ are going viral across social media platforms. Clips of actors Siddharth, Nakul, Bharath, Thaman and Manikandan stalking women and mouthing disgusting comments have been referred to as being toxic. Many people say that if this film had been released today, Shankar would have faced heavy backlash online. Since the release of 'Indian 2', Shankar has already been facing online trolling, and now 'Boys' has made him a target again.https://x.com/itisprashanth/status/2021074723820667034Support for Shankar and the filmAt the same time, many people are defending Shankar. They say showing bad behaviour in a film does not mean the director supports it. People ask questions like: “If a film shows violence, does that mean the director supports violence?” and “If terrorism is shown, does that make the director a terrorist?” Supporters say cinema reflects society and reality. They also say 'Boys' is about youth confusion, mistakes, and how the boys later grow and improve their lives through music.Debate on responsibility in cinemaCriticism is also growing from another angle. Some say serious social issues should not be shown in a fun and casual way through songs. Others say filmmakers must be responsible because such scenes can send the wrong message to young people. Even when 'Boys' was released, it faced criticism. But today, in the age of social media, the criticism has become much stronger. Now, 'Boys' is not just a film debate. It has become a bigger discussion about social responsibility, film ethics, and the responsibility of filmmakers.