The makers of Vakeel Saab the Telugu version of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s 2016 cult hit Pink are under fire for changing the entire focus and perspective of the original. Apparently, the remake shifts attention from the three victims of sexual violence (played in the original by Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang) to the lawyer who fights their case.
Apparently, the lawyer character, played by Pavan Kalyan is now the centre of attention in the plot. In fact, a poster released on Women’s Day shows Pavan Kalyan sprawled on a chair while the three heroines (played by Anjali, Nivetha Thomas, Ananya Nagalla) are shown standing behind Pavan Kalyan.
Netizens have responded angrily to the hero hogging the limelight in a sensitive heroine-oriented film. A director who has worked with Pavan Kalyan laughingly said, “Sir you can call the film Pink, Blue Or Red. But when it is Pavan Kalyan in the lead, audiences will come to see only him. That’s why the Telugu remake is called Vakeel Saabsout, not Teen Deviyan Aur Ek Vakeel Saab."
Looks like patriarchal rules of stardom still rule the South Indian film industry.
Image source: IMDb