CHENNAI: This summer, Savitha, 8, watched Rajinikanth's film Chandramukhi. And she has been petrified ever since. Her parents took her to the doctor after she refused to go the toilet; she was scared a ghost was inside.

Mahesh, 9, watched the movie in a theatre with his mother, brother and friends. He did not look at the screen when the scary scenes came on. After returning home, he began to weep, screaming "Aiyo bayamma irrukay!" Actress Jyothika's rolling eyes have scared several children and also older persons this summer. This psychological thriller, which tells a tale of split personalities, is narrated like a ghost story. Some children enjoyed Rajini's eerie "Lakalakalaka... " and repeated it, while others hummed the catchy songs and forgot the horror scenes.

But some were really frightened. Little Savitha refused to enter the bathroom or the pooja room fearing that "Chandramukhi haunted closed rooms."

"Unsuitable for children"

Dr. Gita Mathai, consultant paediatrician, who treated her, watched the movie to find out what the fuss was about.

"It was a scary movie, with concepts of possession which are unsuitable for children," she said. "Parents must show some discretion in choosing what the children are viewing. The movie should have carried a 15 and above certification."

Mahesh's teenaged elder brother said, "It was Ganga's eyes that scared him. Mahesh didn't react in the theatre. But he wanted an adult to hold him close, when he came back home. I asked him whether he would like to watch the movie again, he said no and ran away."

Keith Gomez, professor, medical and psychiatric social work, Loyola College, said that the Censor Board could give the movie an adult or restricted viewing certification though the movie has run for more than 50 days. "A warning may be issued at the beginning of the movie or even along with the advertisements and publicity," he said.

A.M. Poornima, school counsellor, did not find the movie scary. "But a parent is the best judge. A parent should decide whether the child is liable to be emotionally affected and then decide whether or not to take him/her along. Or they should prepare a child in advance about what to expect, and tell him/her to take it in a lighter spirit. But compared to the violence, negativity and vulgarity being shown on television every single day, a film like Chandramukhi can't do much damage."'

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Entertainment |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |