The extremes film fans go to today to uncharitably target anyone who makes even a benign reference that even distantly appears to have dented the larger-than-life image of their favourite heroes is unpalatable (“Speak up against trolls”, August 9). Social media platforms have become zones to spew venom. A political leader in Tamil Nadu was right when he said that the negative influence of on-screen characters played by modern-day heroes far outweighs any moral good that cinema is supposedly expected to bring into the real lives of filmgoers. There are instances where producers have been forced to bow to the demands of fans and change the storyline drastically just to ensure that their heroes are not portrayed in bad light. Most matinee idols are also guilty of not reining in some of their wayward fans.
S. Vasudevan,
Chennai
