The alleged horrific assault by Kannada actor Darshan Toogudeepa on his wife, Vijayalakshmi, came as a shock to the people of Karnataka. The bigger shock was the manner in which film fraternity rallied behind him rather than his abused wife.
In a decision that defied logic and starkly brought to fore the patriarchal attitudes that govern the film industry, a woman actor alleged to be having an affair with Darshan — reportedly the reason behind his marital discord — has been banned for three years from acting in any Kannada film.
Public Eye examines the hypocrisy of a society that plays down the horror of domestic violence in the name of family honour.
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