Veteran actress Madhoo has candidly acknowledged that her 1991 blockbuster 'Phool Aur Kaante' glorified eve-teasing — behaviour she says would not only be unacceptable today but would likely land the perpetrator in jail. Her remarks come amid a renewed national conversation on the objectification of women in Hindi cinema, reignited by criticism of the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor in the Ram Charan-starrer 'Peddi'.

What Madhoo Said About Phool Aur Kaante

Speaking to reporters, Madhoo pointed to the film's opening songs as a case study in how Bollywood once romanticised harassment. 'In Phool Aur Kaante, the first two songs are only eve-teasing. The boys are chasing on a college campus and whistling, and I am looking at it as romance, and we all looked at it as romance. I fall in love with the boy who is teasing me and harassing me. Today, you will call that and put him behind bars. If a boy chased you today in college and campus and did all this, it would not be accepted,' she said.

Crucially, she noted that the film was never called out at the time — it was celebrated as one of the biggest commercial hits of the decade. 'That was not trolled, that was only made a big hit,' she added, describing the contrast with the scrutiny films face today.

On Rape Scenes and Changing Norms

Madhoo also addressed how the depiction of sexual violence has shifted over the decades. 'Back in the day, rape scenes were very easily accepted, which is why they were included in almost every film. No questions were raised about them. In fact, Ranjit sir was referred to as a 'rape specialist.' Such scenes would be depicted with pulling, struggling, and assault. I, too, was involved in one such scene,' she said.

She contrasted that era with the present: 'Today, rape scenes are rarely shown in films. Even when they are depicted, they are presented very subtly.' The shift, she argued, reflects a broader change in audience expectations and social consciousness.

Cinema as a Mirror of Society

The 'Roja' actress framed the evolution of on-screen representation as inseparable from societal change. 'Our cinema reflects our society. As the society changes, as the conversation changes, the movie has to reflect that,' she said. She warned that showing romanticised harassment today could send dangerous signals: 'If you show that in a movie and we start admiring it as an audience, then it may give subtle permission to young men that they can do this. But you cannot do this — this is not romance, this is not love, this is eve-teasing, this is harassment.'

The Peddi Controversy and the Broader Debate

Madhoo's remarks are particularly significant against the backdrop of the backlash over 'Peddi', in which critics argued that Janhvi Kapoor's portrayal was objectifying. The controversy has prompted a wider industry reckoning about whether Bollywood and regional cinema have genuinely moved on from the tropes of the past — or whether they have merely updated the packaging. Notably, 'Phool Aur Kaante' was also the debut film of Ajay Devgn, and its massive success at the time is a reminder of how deeply such narratives were once embedded in mainstream cinema.

As the debate continues, Madhoo's self-critical reflection offers a rare moment of accountability from within the industry itself.