On Thursday, the makers of the upcoming Telugu film released a poster in which the middle finger of an unseen male character is seen stuck inside the image of the heroine (Vaishnavi Chaitanya). Three minutes into its release, the poster was withdrawn by its director, Sai Rajesh, known for producing the National Award-winning 'Colour Photo'.
"Calling off the poster... Apologies...It's an important sequence in the film…definitely not related to the theme of the movie," he wrote on Twitter, announcing the withdrawal.
By then, the damage was done. The poster was described by some social media users as regressive and distasteful. It was also described as grotesque. "It appears that the girl's consent is not there. In other words, the poster subtly propagates rape culture," a Facebook user wrote.
Sai Rajesh and Mass Movie Makers withdrew the poster in no time. Nevertheless, they are facing criticism for allegedly releasing the poster with the intention of stoking controversy. Later, another poster in which a blade is seen between the heroine's lips was released. Looks like the female lead in the film has got a semi-negative character.
