Ratna Pathak Shah calls RRR a ‘regressive film’: ‘It looks backwards while we should look forward’

While the world is going gaga over filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s film RRR (2022), veteran actor Ratna Pathak Shah recently said that it is a ‘regressive film’.

"Films like RRR are so popular today. But it’s a regressive film. It looks backwards while we should look forward. We just feel whatever we are doing is good because we are part of the mother of democracy — India," said the actor.

Shah shared her thoughts while she was in conversation at the launch event of a book titled The Queen, The Courtesan, The Doctor, The Writer by Sabah Khan at YWCA's Lady Willingdon Hostel in Mumbai.

The actress later added, “Until filmmakers will not see their work critically, we will have to watch films like RRR. But we don't like criticism. Our ego gets hurt. This atmosphere is created by so many big people and unfortunately, we have accepted it.”

Talking about the roles of women in today’s films, she said, “Women were standing at the back and crying. My mother did many roles where she was standing and crying. So, this stereotyping of women was very painful for me.

She added that she found theatre more progressive than films. “I used to think about it and when I grew up, I saw that theatre was very progressive. Theatre didn't have similar men-centric stories. Especially the kind of plays I used to do. My mother used to work with IPTA (Indian People's Theatre Association) and Gujarati commercial theatre, and I saw a clear difference in how women were portrayed and positioned in the plays. It was very clear to me that there are two ways to see women.”

Her comments on RRR did not go down well with a number of social media users who brutally trolled her.

“Doesn’t she get tired of complaining?” wrote one user.

In an interview with Indian Express, Shah also talked about the “Besharam Rang” controversy and said, “I would say we are living in very silly times, if these are the things that are on top of your mind. It isn’t something that I would like to talk about very much or give much credence to. But I am hoping that there are many more sensible people in India than are visible at the moment. They will come through, because what is happening, this sense of fear, sense of exclusion is not sustainable. I feel humans cannot sustain hate beyond a point. There is an uprise, but then you get exhausted with hate. I am waiting for that day to come.”

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