When Malayalam women actors took on cyberbullies

 Malayalam film actor Honey Rose recently announced her decision to take legal action against trolls and harassers who targeted her with double-meaning jokes and sexually charged remarks on social media. In a detailed post, Honey Rose explained how her choice of attire had become the target of online abuse, declaring her intent to fight back legally. She also revealed the offender's name on social media, calling it an open war between money and justice.

Her experience is far from isolated. Many Malayalam actresses have faced similar bullying and have marshalled courage to speak out publicly.

Esther Anil & Anaswara Rajan: Calling out media misconduct
Recently, several actresses have criticized media outlets for unethical practices, particularly for shooting them at unflattering angles to create clickbait content. Actor Esther Anil openly condemned a YouTube channel for filming her at inappropriate angles during a promotional event. Commenting on the post shared on their Instagram page, Esther sarcastically wrote, "Pachakuyil knows where to put the camera and what angles to capture."

Similarly, Actor Anaswara Rajan has also expressed discomfort over how media outlets often intentionally shoot from top angles to misrepresent actresses' attire. She remarked, "I often feel uncomfortable when the media films me. I've asked them to take videos from the ground, not from the sky."

It wasn't long ago, in 2020, that Anaswara, still a teenager at the time, found herself at the centre of an online storm after sharing casual photos in shorts. Her outfit sparked a barrage of offensive comments, many of which sought to shame her for her clothing choices. However, she refused to back down and boldly shared another photo from the same album with the caption: "Don't worry about what I'm doing. Worry about why you're worried about what I'm doing." Since then, Anaswara has become a fierce advocate against societal hypocrisy and misogyny.

Saniya Iyappan took on cyberbullying
Actor Saniya Iyappan has frequently been a target of online trolls for her bold photoshoots and videos. The amount of hate she receives for being the glamorous diva she is, is enormous. However, she remains undeterred, often giving fitting replies to her detractors. During a promotional event, Saniya and her co-star Grace Antony experienced physical harassment when someone among the attendees groped them. Saniya reacted by slapping the perpetrator, while Grace later shared her ordeal on social media. Instead of empathizing, some netizens blamed their attire, perpetuating the toxic narrative that female actors "invite" such behaviour.

Rima Kallingal: Targeted for wearing a mini-skirt
In 2022, Rima Kallingal faced brutal cyberattacks on social media for wearing a short skirt at an open forum during the Regional International Film Festival of Kerala (RIFFK) in Kochi. A group of people posted abusive comments, criticizing her choice of attire. The greatest irony is that she was speaking about sexual harassment prevalent in the film industry. While some were concerned about her choice of clothes when discussing sexual violence in films, others began moral policing, teaching her how to dress "decently." Rima has been targeted by cyberbullies for her attire on other occasions and has been a vocal advocate for the same, reacting by asserting that as a woman, she is entitled to wear whatever she chooses.

Sayanora Philip: Embracing her Choices
In 2021, musician Sayanora Philip shared a video of herself and her friends dancing to a peppy number while wearing casual shorts. While many cheered on her joyful post, others resorted to moral policing, sending sexist comments and questioning her outfit choice. She was trolled with questions like why a curvy woman of colour, who is also a mother, was showing her legs. Sayanora gave a befitting reply by posting a photo of embracing her legs with a message that celebrated body positivity and rejected societal judgments.