Mumbai, June 11, 2026
There has been a massive debate about the objectification of women in movies ever since the makers of “Peddi” were trolled for the way they portrayed Jahnvi Kapoor in the Ram Charan starrer movie.
Now, speaking exclusively to IANS, veteran actress Madhoo shared that her superhit movie of 1991 “Phool Aur Kaante” glorified eve-teasing, something which will not be tolerated in today’s time.
When asked if there is more objectification of women in the movies now compared to the 80s and the 90s, Madhoo shared that the cinema has to evolve according to the changing mindset of the audience.
She said “Back in the day, rape scenes were very easily accepted, which is why they were included in almost every film. No questions were raised about them. In fact, Ranjit sir was referred to as a ‘rape specialist.’ Such scenes would be depicted with pulling, struggling, and assault. I, too, was involved in one such scene.” She continued “Today, rape scenes are rarely shown in films. Even when they are depicted, they are presented very subtly.”
Giving an example of her own movie, she said that in “Phool Aur Kaante” she ends up falling for the guy who eve teases her, mistaking it for romance, but if today, something like this were to happen, the boy would be out behind bars.
She told IANS, “In Phool Aur Kaante, the first two songs are only eve-teasing. The boys are chasing on a college campus and whisling, and I am looking at it as romance, and we all looked at it as romance. I fall in love with the boy who is teasing me and harassing me. Today, you will call that and put him behind bars. If a boy chased you today in college and campus and did all this, it would not be accepted.”
She added that, unlike today, “Phool Aur Kaante” was not called out for glorified eve-teasing, but instead became one of the biggest hits of the time.
“Therefore, today, you can’t even show that in a movie, because if you show that in a movie and we start admiring it as an audience, then it may give subtle permission to young men that they can do this. But, you cannot do this, this is not romance, this is not love, this is eve-teasing, this is harassment. But the same thing has become the biggest hit in the 90s, and I am part of that hit. But that was not trolled, that was only made a big hit,” added the ‘Roja” actress.
“So, what I am trying to say is our cinema reflects our society. As the society changes, as the conversation changes, the movie has to reflect that,” concluded Madhoo.(Agency)
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