After Toxic, Roopesh Peethambaran Takes Dig At Geetu Mohandas Over Mammootty’s Kasaba Controversy – ‘Karma Is Real’

Actor-director Roopesh Peethambaran has taken a dig at filmmaker Geetu Mohandas following the release of her Yash-starrer Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups. Roopesh talked about the trouble surrounding Mammootty’s 2016 movie Kasaba, and wondered if the controversial scene would still be called “toxic” now. Roopesh, who posted the Kasaba scene on social media, addressed Geetu directly. He also used hashtags associated with actors Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal and the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), bringing back an old Malayalam cinema debate. It comes soon after Toxic released on August 26. The movie also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, and Rukmini Vasanth.

In an Instagram post, Roopesh posted a movie clip from the particular scene and asked Geetu whether the Kasaba scene still felt problematic for her or if Toxic itself became the “real toxic.” He also wrote, “karma is real” and again expressed his love and support for Mammootty.

Some viewers questioned the film’s portrayal of female characters and criticised it for objectifying women, leading his post to be seen as a rebuttal to Toxic’s criticism. Roopesh seems to be comparing the reception to Mammootty’s film with the criticism that Geetu got for her latest directorial venture by bringing up Kasaba. His caption was translated by Instagram as: “Dear #GeethuMohandas is this scene Toxic for you now? Or is Toxic – the real Toxic? #ParvathyThiruvothu #RimaKallingal #wcc #mammootty ikka, none of these kids have seen your 1981 to 2016 movies! Karma is real and we all love you Mamooka. Video courtesy- goodwillcinemas”

Mammootty starrer Kasaba, directed by Nithin Renji Panicker, courted controversy after its release in 2016 for some dialogues and scenes involving women. Later, at the open forum of the 22nd International Film Festival, actress Parvathy Thiruvothu had publicly slammed the film. Without naming Kasaba, she stated that some of the content in the film propagated problematic attitudes toward women.  who was present at the event, asked her to name the film, but she didn’t name it at first. The comments sparked a huge debate in Malayalam cinema and also online backlash against Parvathy.

The industry continued to debate the controversy for years. The earlier controversy did not deter Mammootty and Parvathy from working together later in the acclaimed Puzhu.

Roopesh’s comments come after Toxic’s theatrical release, which has created a lot of discussion over its action, storytelling and portrayal of women. Geetu Mohandas directed   features Yash in the lead role along with the 5 aforementioned actresses.

Roopesh’s post has reignited the debate on how filmmakers and actors react to backlash around gender representation. His mention of Kasaba also situates Geetu’s earlier position on the film in relation to the criticism that Toxic is currently facing.

Geetu Mohandas has not reacted to the comments made by Roopesh Peethambaran so far.