Rohit M. G. Krishnan’ hard-hitting thriller ‘Iratta’ was released in theatres on 3rd February and after exactly a month, it started streaming on the Netflix OTT platform from 3rd March onwards.
The movie focuses on the story of the identical twins and cops ASI Vinod and Dy.SP Pramod (played by Joju George). When one of the twins dies under mysterious circumstances, the other one sets out to unearth the mystery during the police investigation which is conducted overnight.
After its theatrical release, ‘Iratta’ received mostly positive reviews from critics and after it started streaming on Netflix, the unsettling movie has been trending at #2 on the Netflix top ten movies list. But the question is: Is ‘Iratta’ trending on Netflix setting the wrong example for OTT audiences and streaming behavior?
Although ‘Iratta’ boasts of an adept direction by Rohit M. G. Krishnan and a terrific dual performance by its lead actor Joju George, the movie contains some disturbing scenes which are replete with violence and extreme discomfort. The film’s protagonist Vinod has been portrayed as a violent man with a traumatic childhood. In one disturbing scene, he even sexually assaults a minor girl (not explicitly shown but implied).
In another segment from ‘Iratta’, a married woman is shown to be brutally beaten by her mentally unstable husband. The protagonist cop saves her, but later he himself tries to take advantage of the woman. All this seems to be rather justified by the cop’s traumatic past.
‘Iratta’ has been given U/A 16+ rating but considering the film’s disturbing premise and a shocking and unsettling climatic revelation, should such a movie be seen by 16-18 kids? It’s readily available for streaming on Netflix and since it’s trending big time on the OTT platform, many youngsters might have already seen it.
So, the point is: what does a violent, disturbing film (meant to be seen by adult audiences) trending on a major OTT platform like Netflix tells us about the viewing behavior of streaming audiences and whether the popularity of such a film is setting the wrong kind of example about the kind of films which deserve widespread viewing by young audiences.
It’s not that previously there haven’t been any films with a hard-hitting premise and a few disturbing and violent scenes. It happens quite often in foreign films streaming in India and even in a few Indian movies. As per a segment of sensitive audiences, ‘Iratta’ might have crossed the line as it may not be in line with our cultural and social values. But another school of thought might opine that these kinds of films, which are apparently rooted in reality, should be seen by audiences.
But again, who’ll decide what that line is for OTT viewers considering the absence of pre-release censorship for self-regulated OTT platforms in India. And a film like ‘Iratta’ might once again spark the long-standing censorship debate for OTT platforms in India.
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