Family Star faced a humiliating fate upon its release in theaters. Starring Vijay Deverakonda and Mrunal Thakur and helmed by director Parasuram, with Dil Raju as the producer, expectations were high.
However, from the first screening onwards, the film received a barrage of negative reviews and word-of-mouth, signaling trouble from the start. Sadly, it never managed to recover from this initial blow and turned out to be an epic disaster.
Now, even after its debut on OTT, the movie hasn’t found respite from criticism. It’s normal for some films to find some appreciation on OTT after a disappointing theatrical run, but for Family Star, the humiliation continues on OTT as well.
Social media is flooded with clips from the film, sparking brutal criticism aimed primarily at Parasuram, for conceiving such scenes.
One scene, in particular, has ignited fury among viewers. It depicts Vijay Deverakonda’s character issuing r*pe threats to women. How can a hero proudly suggest that all the men in his family are potential rapists? It’s a manifestation of misandry, even if it’s meant as a counter to the villain.
Depicting sexual violence against women as a form of heroism in a supposedly family entertainer shows that the director has run out of ideas.
By normalizing or trivializing violence against women and showing them as elevations to the hero’s character, the director perpetuates harmful attitudes that can have real-world consequences.
While Parasuram managed to escape trolls with Geetha Govindam due to its entertainment value, subsequent works like Mahesh Babu’s Sarkau Vaari Paata faced heavy criticism for several scenes. However, Family Star takes this embarrassment to another level altogether.
Family Star is going to haunt Parasuram for a long time.
Vijay Deverakonda should exercise caution in script selection and before endorsing such scenes. As a youth icon, he bears a responsibility given his significant influence over young audiences.
His next film looks promising and hopefully, it will wipe out the horrors of Family Star.
