Kasaba director Nithin Reji Panicker reignited a feud from 2016 and called out Geetu Mohandas for ‘revising misogyny’ in her Yash-starrer Toxic. On the actor’s birthday on January 8, Geetu released a 59-second glimpse that seems to have rubbed Nithin the wrong way. (Also Read: Toxic teaser: Birthday boy Yash goes sexy and sinister in sultry first look)
Nithin calls out Geetu for ‘misogyny’
Yash turned 39 on January 8, and on that occasion, Geetu unveiled a special birthday peek, introducing his character in Toxic. Nithin took to his Instagram stories after the release, calling out the director for her hypocrisy. He penned a note in Malayalam, criticising her for doing the very thing she once called him out for.
Nithin claimed that Kasaba was supposedly devoid of misogyny and objectification of women’s bodies and entirely lacked a male gaze, and yet it was scrutinised by ‘someone’ who has now ‘conveniently revised their definition of misogyny’.
TOI translated what he wrote as, “A visual narrative of political standpoints, completely devoid of misogyny, free from the objectification of women’s bodies, and entirely lacking the ‘male gaze,’ where even the ‘masculinity’ seen in Kasaba fades under scrutiny… Someone who boldly shouted ‘SAY IT, SAY IT!!’ and pushed the gears forward. But when it came to crossing state lines, they conveniently revised their definition of misogyny to suit their comfort. #Toxic.”
The feud between Geetu and Nithin
In 2016, Nithin’s Mammootty-starrer Kasaba received flak for featuring a scene that saw the lead actor pull on a female police officer’s belt and tell her he could make her miss her menstrual cycle. The Kerala Women Commission even sent notices to Nithin, Mammootty and film producer Alice George, stating the film’s dialogues were ‘insulting to womanhood in general’.
When actor Parvathy Thiruvothu called out the scene in 2017, she faced threats from Mammootty’s fans and had to lodge a police complaint. Geetu had supported Parvathy back then and nudged her to reveal the film’s name at the International Film Festival of Kerala, which Nithin referred to in his note.
Toxic birthday peek
Toxic birthday peek shows Yash dressed in a retro-style suit and hat as he enters a club filled with women. The men get handsy with women drinking and doing drugs. The video ends with Yash joining in, pulling a woman into his lap and pouring a drink on her face. Describing the film, Geetu wrote on her Instagram, “Toxic–a fairy tale for grown-ups–will defy conventions and provoke the chaos within us.”