Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, the film sparked a debate over the objectification of women on screen. Several viewers criticised the way Kapoor’s character, Achiyamma, was presented through repeated close-up shots and suggestive camera angles.
Sana later apologised over the controversy and said changes would be made to the film, which also stars Ram Charan.
Kapoor has now spoken about the issue on “Koffee with Karan”, where she appeared alongside actor Varun Dhawan. She said the controversy had weighed on her conscience, particularly because of the message the film could send about women.
“I feel many people worked really hard on that film and I really didn’t know if there was anything to say. It weighs heavily on my conscience the sort of negative impact a narrative like that can have on our society. Specific to my gender. That shame I will always carry with me,” she said.
Looking back, Kapoor acknowledged that she could have done more to prevent the character from being portrayed in a way she found problematic.
“Could I have done more? Could I have been more vigilant? 100% yes. Was it problematic, was it extreme objectification? Did it even propagate sexual assault narratively? Yes. But the only thing I can do is ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” she added.
The 29-year-old actor said she had tried to address her concerns during filming as she became aware of how the scenes were being presented. However, she now feels she should have pushed back more strongly against the decisions being made.
“I went through the beats of really beating up myself that I should have been more vigilant. I don’t like saying this because it sounds like I am shifting blame, but it’s like you listen to the director and what he says. I was navigating how to make things less problematic as and when information was becoming available to me,” Kapoor said.
The daughter of late actor Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor also reflected on the influence she could have wielded as an established actor. She said she should have used her position in the industry to make her objections heard.
“In the south, very rarely there is a bound script. Very rarely do you see the camera angles. I do come from a place of privilege. I should have taken advantage of that because I am going to get the s*** for being privileged anyway. So, I might as well have leveraged it,” she said.
Kapoor described the experience as violating but said she hoped the controversy would make filmmakers think more carefully about how they portray female leads.
“It was a violating experience in a way. The good thing that came out of it is that maybe next time a director will rethink twice before presenting a lead actress this way,” she added.
— REDIFF NEWS
