Tamannaah denies rape of Avantika in Baahubali: It's finding herself through a man

India Today

3 days ago

Actor Tamannaah Bhatia, in an exclusive interview with The Lallantop, opened up about her perspective regarding the controversial scene featuring her and Prabhas in director SS Rajamouli's 'Baahubali: The Beginning'. In the scene, Prabhas' Shivudu starts stripping Tamannaah's Avantika and applying some natural make-up on her to remind her of the femininity that she had forgotten. This particular scene gave way to a discourse about how problematic it is and sparked a debate about consent.advertisementIn a candid conversation addressing an article titled 'The Rape of Avantika', the actor defended the creative vision behind the controversial sequence while addressing broader issues of societal repression. Bhatia began by addressing what she sees as a fundamental issue. "This is my take. Jab log aapko control nahi kar sakte. woh ek technique istemaal karte aur woh hai shame and guilt. Kyunki woh hamesha aapko aisa mehsoos karate hai ki aap jo bhi kare uske baare mein aapko sharmanaak hona chahiye. jab woh aapko mehsoon kara sakte woh aap pe control paa sakte hain. (When people can't control you, they use a technique and that is shame and guilt. Because they always make you feel that whatever you do, you should feel ashamed about it. When they can make you feel that, they can gain control over you.). This is one aspect of the conversation."The actor also highlighted what she views as a deeply rooted hypocrisy in Indian society regarding natural human processes. She pointed out the contradiction in how society treats the very process that brings life into existence, noting that despite its fundamental importance, it remains heavily stigmatised.
"In our country, people look down upon the idea of the process by which you and I are here today. If our parents didn't come together, I don't think you'd be here. Neither would I nor would anybody else be. And we look down upon it so much, we are so repressed," Bhatia observed.Elaborating on this societal contradiction, she said: "Jo itni pure cheez hai, usi ko ham sabse gandi nazar se dekthe hai. Woh nazariya jo hai, wo ham sabko aise mehsoos karate hain that we have we have to be ashamed about that aspect of our lives - to hide and not discuss, or we can't be open about that conversation). The thing that is so pure, we look at it from the dirtiest perspective. That perspective makes us all feel that we have to be ashamed of that aspect of our lives - to hide and not discuss or we can't be open about that conversation)."advertisementThe conversation took a more specific turn when Bhatia addressed criticism of certain film sequences, particularly defending the artistic vision of directors. "Log hamesha aapko mehsoos karane chahte hai ki aapne kuch galat kar diya. But, yeh sabse basic cheez hai life ki. Isiliye aaj hum hai. Ye mujhe aaj tak baath samajh mein nahi aayi ki log kyun - jab aap ek film dekhte hain - wo ek director ka vision hota hai (People always want to make you feel like you've done something wrong. But, this is the most basic thing in life. That's why we are here today)," she said, expressing confusion about why people judge films without understanding the director's intent. Bhatia recalled a conversation with renowned director SS Rajamouli, who explained his vision for the stripping sequence in 'Baahubali 1': "I remember when Rajamouli sir was explaining that entire sequence to me, he was like, 'she is that divine feminine, who is wounded. She is beautiful. She is feminine. She wants to be loved. But, she has gone through so much hardship in her life that she feels like she needs to push everybody away. She can't let anybody inside because they will always take advantage of her. So, she holds boundaries. But, here, there is a young man who is merely trying to woo her to make her see how beautiful she is.'"advertisementDescribing the visual storytelling approach, Bhatia explained: "Agar aapko yeh visually darshana pade, toh there was an entire sequence about, kuch baali shift ho jahte hai, bindi lag jahte hai - jab apne aap ko dekhte apna khud ka chehra dekhti hai - wo dekhti arrey mujhe hameesha se lagtha tha ki mujhe apna warrior...apne aap ko itna strong kar diya tha ki apni jo namrata hai wo kahi na kahi gum ho gayi thi. (If you had to show it visually, then there was an entire sequence about some bangles being worn, bindi appearing on her forehead - when she sees herself, sees her own face - she sees 'oh, I always thought I had to be my warrior.' She had made herself so strong that her essence, her innocence, had gotten lost somewhere. And this is Shiva's character who helps her reconnect with herself)."The actress emphasised how individual perspectives shape the interpretation of artistic content. "Yeh tha nazariya. Ab yeh unka nazariya hai. yeh har cheez ko vaise hi dekhthe hai. Kyunki everyone perceives. Aapna kuch bhi dikha liya vo sabse purest cheez dikha lijiye. Agar kiso lagta hai sex is a bad thing or your body is a bad thing, usko vohi dikhayi dega kyunki woh uska nazariya hai, uski soch hai. Ek filmmaker aapko kuch bahut hi beautiful dikhana chahta hai lekin aapko kuch aur dikhta hai. (This is how everyone sees everything. Because everyone perceives. Whatever you show them, even if you show the purest thing. If someone thinks sex is a bad thing and your body is a bad thing, that's what they'll see. Because that's their perspective. A filmmaker wants to show you something very beautiful, but you see something else. That's their thinking)," she explained.advertisementIn conclusion, Bhatia firmly rejected negative interpretations of the artistic work, stating: "I don't think I take the burden of that and, as creative people, I don't think it was the rape of Avantika. It was Avantika finding herself through a young man who was wooing her."The actress's comments reflect ongoing debates in Indian cinema about artistic freedom, societal norms, and the interpretation of intimate or romantic scenes in films. Her stance emphasises the importance of understanding creative vision rather than imposing predetermined judgments on artistic expression.- EndsMust Watch