_2.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
A day after a hate campaign was unleashed on Malayalam actor Parvathy's upcoming film My Story, abusive Internet users have now targeted the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) for sharing an article on misogyny in Malayalam cinema and the shameful silence of stars like Mammootty.
Through their Facebook page, the WCC has been vocal about their stance on several issues, including the actor abduction and assault case (which triggered the formation of the Collective) and the recent social media attack on actor Parvathy. The outspoken, award-winning actor who is an active member of the forum had called out the misogyny in the widely criticised Mammootty film Kasaba at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) during a panel discussion on how women are represented on screen.
On January 1, wishing everyone at the beginning of the New Year, an official post by the WCC page said that the year 2017 had been a "meaningful year for the cinema world." They added that 2017 had been a "year of awakening and genuine introspection" for Malayalam cinema.
Along with the post, the page also shared an article published on Dailyo which discussed misogyny in Malayalam cinema.
The post was later taken down from the page, even as the down-rating campaign gained momentum. There were many on social media, who did not troll WCC, but pointed out that the article was unfair as it put Dileep and Mammootty on the same page.
Two WCC members told TNM that they were not aware that such an article was going to be shared, and it has been a mistake.
But on Tuesday, several social media users began targeting WCC's Facebook page, by down-rating it. Giving a 1 star rating, hundreds of users posted offensive and demeaning comments against the forum, for "insulting" actor Mammootty.
The organised down-rating campaign seems to have been spurted by this post.
While the number of 1 star ratings on the page stood below 1000 on Tuesday, it stands at 5000 currently, with several reviews posted almost continuously. This forms a major part of the total 7.8k reviews the page has received since the Collective began.
"f*cking page . Ban this page.these page is very bad for society.it is harrasing good mens," said one user.
"F*cking page.. Just hate it..!! A low class organization that started to gain personal interest," said another.
"This page is only for feminists and these feminists don't know abt true fact," ranted another irate user.
However, as the down-rating campaign continued with increased vitriol, there were also users who gave 5 stars to the page, putting a start to a counter campaign against the abusive trolls.
"A federation is more relabel when its cause to the main subject of an debate . And the debating is the better way for creating , understanding and share the innovative things . On that concern subject this federation is good to share the innovative things .. expecting more in future.. all the best," wrote a user.
"WCC is making the whole society to 'think'. Abilty to think in a positive manner is a gift to less and has to be sculpted for many.... " write another.
"Thank you and salute you for raising your voices for women’s equality and dignity around the world. In a male dominated world, the empowerment of women must be a key priority. Women already have what it takes to succeed. Empowerment is about breaking structural barriers. Keep pushing. Keep inspiring. Keep making a difference," said a user.
"A change will always resisted with harsh words as well as arms. Its natural. Please continue to be brave and strong in making new narratives thro collective action," said another.