Tamil Nadu POCSO Case: Credit Goes to Anil Ravipudi!

Cinema’s impact on society is often debated, with many believing that films influence people more negatively than positively. But every once in a while, a film manages to create a real impact, and a recent incident in Tamil Nadu is a perfect example.

An eight year old girl from Chennai reportedly opened up about sexual abuse after watching Vijay’s Jananayagan. The film features a scene explaining good touch and bad touch, helping children understand where appropriate and inappropriate touching begins.

The girl remembered the message from the film and told her father about the alleged abuse she had faced. He immediately approached the police, following which the accused was arrested under the POCSO Act. The incident has now brought appreciation for the film’s message.

But the interesting part is that the original idea did not come from Jananayagan. The scene was actually inspired by Anil Ravipudi’s Bhagavanth Kesari, where Balakrishna delivered a similar message to school children in a sensitive manner.

Anil Ravipudi has always been known as a family entertainment director who tries to bring meaningful and socially relevant points into his commercial films. Presenting such an important subject through a star hero like Balakrishna made the message reach a much wider audience.

The impact of that scene was strong enough for Vijay to notice it and adopt similar elements for his farewell film. Despite Jananayagan receiving mixed response, the film reached a huge audience and reportedly crossed Rs 300 crore in its full run.

For Anil Ravipudi, this is certainly a big achievement. A scene created for a commercial entertainer travelled beyond its original film, inspired another star hero’s farewell project and, most importantly, helped a young girl recognise and speak about abuse. The awareness credit should go to Anil too.