Long before Rajinikanth’s Coolie stormed the box office and its “Monica” song began trending online, acclaimed director Mari Selvaraj had already voiced his disapproval of a cinematic trope that has now become the center of controversy.
The filmmaker, known for powerful socially conscious works like Pariyerum Perumal (2018), Karnan (2021), Maamannan (2023), and Vaazhai (2024), has consistently challenged the way Tamil cinema represents caste, politics, and marginalized voices. But in one of his earlier public remarks, Selvaraj turned his focus to the way women are objectified in song sequences.
He pointedly asked:
“Why do we celebrate cinema where a single woman is made to dance in the midst of fifty men? When a man and woman dance together, it is called romance. When groups of men and women dance, it is celebration. But when one woman alone dances for dozens of men, what culture does that represent? For ages, women have been treated like intoxicants in cinema — to be consumed by the male gaze.”
At the time, his words were seen as a general critique of Tamil cinema’s entrenched formulas. But with Coolie’s “Monica” song now going viral — showcasing precisely the kind of sequence Selvaraj had condemned — his remarks have regained fresh relevance, sparking heated arguments on social media.
Supporters hailed him as a visionary, claiming his concerns about the commodification of women in mainstream cinema are valid and long overdue. Critics, however, accused him of selective outrage, pointing out that his own films include controversial depictions of relationships and violence, which too could be read as problematic.
Some cultural commentators also argued that such performances are rooted in traditional art forms, citing parallels to classical epics like Silappathikaram where dancers like Madhavi performed before large audiences. For them, cinema is simply a modern extension of such practices.
Nevertheless, Mari Selvaraj’s remarks — though made much earlier — now echo loudly in the wake of Coolie. They underline the continuing tension in Tamil cinema between commercial spectacle and social responsibility, forcing audiences to reflect on how women are portrayed on screen.
