Popular Mollywood writer and director has apologised for the inclusion of misogynistic dialogues in his films. In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, he wrote, "If a woman who sits in a crowd finds that my dialogues in the film is degrading her gender or has offended her, I agree that it was a mistake from my side. But I would like to make it very clear that I have never intended to demean anybody. I acknowledge it. If any viewer is or was hurt by a remark from the films that I have written—be it based on gender, caste, colour or creed—I shouldn’t have written them. I know it has happened."
The context for the query was a dialogue in the Mammootty-starrer The King, where the actor says dialogues like....."You are just a woman". Earlier, after the notorious sexual assault of a Mollywood actress, actor Prithviraj had apologised and said he would no longer mouth such statements. In a Facebook post addressed to the victim and women in general, he said, “I have been part of films that celebrated misogyny. I have mouthed lines that vilified the regard for your self-respect and I have taken a bow to the claps that ensued. Never again! Never again will I let disrespect for women be celebrated in my movies."
Sharing the interview on her Facebook page, actress Rima Kallingal lauded the director, "This is the beginning of a new wave. It takes immense courage to unlearn what you have been told all along and to bring about a new perspective. Kudos and cheers to Renji Panicker. And yes, like he said, all art will be scrutinised again and again in history. All art reflects the the times we live in. Lets make art that stands the test of time. Lets make art that will be revered by generations to come."