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Vijay TV serial promo shows forced marriage, Tamil Nadu cop reminds them of law
The teaser video of Thendral Vanthu Ennai Thodum led to a barrage of tweets from angry users. It showed the serial will be out soon.
The promo of a serial about to air on Tamil television network Vijay TV has caught the eye of the police, which have reminded the makers of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The serial in question is Thendral Vanthu Ennai Thodum, and its teaser video was released on Sunday.
The teaser video shows the lead actress of the serial walking into a temple along with her family members. The male protagonist is shown arguing with a couple marrying inside the temple, without permissions from the respective families. He is about to break the sacred threat (mangalsutra) when the lead actress (Abhinaya) stops him contending that the marriage is acceptable because it has been performed in front of the deity. She even slaps the male lead.
A visibly angry male actor then drags Abhinaya and ties the mangalsutra around her neck in front of a deity asks if she has now become his wife. Shocked, Abhinaya is shown walking behind the male actor as the teaser video ends.
The video generated a lot of furore online from the users who condemned the forced marriage shown in the teaser. Responding to a tweet, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur, Dr Varun Kumar IPS posted a portion of Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, which prohibits harassment of women within the premises of places of worship.
“Whoever commits or participates in or abets harassment of woman in or within the precincts of any educational institution, temple or other place of worship, bus stop, road, railway station, cinema theater, park, beach, place of festival, public service vehicle or vessel or any other place shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than ten thousand rupees,” Dr Kumar's tweet said.
There were other tweets from some angry users. "This serial better not be taken / telecast. Also suggest the Writer, Director, Producer and all those who approved that this be telecast go through a Mandatory 1. REAL meaning of Culture course (and) 2. Unconscious / Subconscious Bias Course," posted the user of handle @who_nisha.
The teaser showed that the TV serial will be out soon.
