Kamal Haasan is one of the living legends of Indian cinema whose achievements in his field are beyond comparison. He is now active in politics leading his Makkal Neethi Maiam party and is seen by political analysts as a major force in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, controversy is raging on the internet over Kamal's lip-lock with actress Rekha in his 1986 movie 'Punnagai Mannan'. Rekha in a YouTube interview had stated that she was sixteen years old at the time of the film and that she was not informed that a lip kiss would happen. She said that she wanted to refuse but assistant directors Vasanth and Suresh Krishna assured her that it would not be obscene but elevate the scene.

Rekha had further alleged that legendary director K. Balachander asked her to close her eyes before she and Kamal would commit suicide by falling off a waterfall in a crucial scene. According to the veteran actress Kamal then without warning kissed her on the lips and she felt very uncomfortable about it. But she tried to diffuse the situation in the interview that it happened a long time back and she is past it but the fact remains that it was a nonconsensual lip lock.

Netizens are slamming the late Balachander, Kamal and the other men involved that it was very inappropriate of them to have done it to a young actress. Chinmayi who is an advocate of the Me Too movement has heavily criticized those involved without mentioning names. However, Rekha has declined to comment on it stating that its un-necessary to rake the issue after thirty-odd years.

This viral video of a non-consensual kiss where the men knew they’d orchestrate a kiss and it would be over in a shot was so normal. So was hitting and slapping and beating people on sets by great directors. It still happens. https://t.co/PbbCHqCCk5

— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) February 25, 2020