Item numbers in movies can never incite a man to rape: Karan Johar and Irrfan Khan

As Mumbai woke up to the dastardly news of a photojournalist’s gangrape, Bollywood movies and its item numbers too found itself under fire for having had an indirect hand towards titillating men. At a press meet to promote a film, Karan Johar and Irrfan Khan who were present among other dignitaries, found themselves suddenly facing a volley of questions linking cinema to the rising rape in the country. Karan said it was shameful that such incidents were happening in the country but to say that cinema has a hand in it is a flawed logic. “When I woke up early in the morning, I really didn’t know how to react. I felt silly making statements like I am appalled. These words sound so empty. You know when incidents like this happen you feel ashamed that you are a part of this humanity culture that exists in our society. But to say that cinema is responsible for all this is wrong,” said Karan while also adding that cinema is a pretty soft target. “The argument that item numbers in movies also has a hand behind rapes that happen is wrong. If this line argument were to hold good, we even show the right man, the good mother, the correct family values but even that is not emulated. Why isn’t our value system questioned? We have a very traditional culture and value system. Why isn’t that under the scanner? Cinema cannot be the only or whole and sole reason for the crime. If at all you want to blame cinemas, it should be the last in the food chain.” Actor Irrfan Khan too, while condemning the rape, lent his vocal support to Karan’s views by saying that it is for men to start respecting women and stop treating her like a commodity. “Cinema cannot be blamed for the rape epidemic. We see women as a product or as a thing that we can sell. It is this mindset that has to change for such acts to stop,” said Irrfan. Both film personalities though believed media is one tool which can curb this menace effectively by keeping this issue alive and taking it to the highest possible authority in the country till it reaches its logical end.