पिछले कुछ दिनों में बॉलीवुड एक्‍ट्रेस तनुश्री दत्ता और नाना पाटेकर के बीच उठे 10 साल पुराने विवाद ने सुर्खियों में खूब जगह बनाई है। इन सुर्खियों के बीच मैंने कुछ दिनों पहले निर्देशक नंदिता दास की फिल्‍म ‘मंटो’ देखी। एक सीन में प्रोड्यूसर बने ऋषि कपूर के सामने तीन महिलाएं खड़ी थीं, तभी उस कमरे में दनदनाते हुए मंटो के किरदार वाले नवाजु़द्दीन सिद्दीकी घुसते हैं और प्रोड्यूसर साहब से अपना पैसा मांगते हैं।

ऋषि कपूर, मंटो से बात कर रहे हैं और अपने सामने खड़ी महिलाओं से कपड़े उतारने को कह रहे हैं। यह तीनों ही सकुचा रही हैं, घबरा रही हैं और धीरे-धीरे अपने कपड़े भी उतार रही हैं। दो लड़कियां अपना ब्‍लाउज़ उतार चुकी होती हैं और तीसरी जो यह करने में झिझक रही होती हैं, ऋषि कपूर उसके पास जाते हैं, उसे थोड़ा कड़क मुद्रा में इशारा करते हैं और आखिर में वह भी अपना ब्‍लाउज़ उतार देती है।

ऋषि कपूर का डायलॉग आता है, “इस सांवली वाली में नमक बहुत है लेकिन इस गोरी वाली को ले लो, ये चलेगी”। यह सुनते ही तीनों लड़कियां अपने उतरे हुए कपड़े उठाती हैं और सीन बदल जाता है।

आपको बता दूं कि यह सीन उस दौर के सिनेमा का है, जब देश आज़ाद भी नहीं हुआ था। जब फिल्‍म की हीरोइनों के कंधे से पल्‍लू नहीं सरकता था। जब फिल्‍में महिला चरित्रों के माध्‍यम से आदर्श पत्नी, आदर्श मां, आदर्श बेटी जैसे प्रत‍िमान गढ़ रही थीं।

अगर आप यह सोच रहे हैं क‍ि यह महज़ फिल्‍म का एक सीन है और इसके आधार पर राय नहीं बनाई जा सकती, तो आपके सामने साफ कर दूं कि कई आत्‍मकथाएं, फिल्‍मों से जुड़े लोग अपनी कहानियों और किस्‍सों में यह ज़ाहिर कर चुके हैं कि सिनेमा में जुड़ने वाली महिलाओं की चयन प्रकिया में ‘फेवर’ या ‘कास्टिंग काउच’ जैसी प्रथाएं हमेशा से जुड़ी रही हैं।

वापस रुख करते हैं तनुश्री दत्ता और नाना पाटेकर के मुद्दे की ओर

यहां आपको सीधे वर्तमान में उठे विवाद से जोड़ती हूं। पिछले चंद दिनों से उठे इस विवाद पर कई सवाल सुनने में आए हैं, जैसे “10 साल से क्‍या ये सोई पड़ी थी” या “नाना पाटेकर तो इतने अच्‍छे आदमी हैं, वो ऐसा नहीं कर सकते” या “अब इसे पब्लिसिटी चाहिए बस और कुछ नहीं, इसलिए इसने ये ड्रामा किया है”। इन सबके बीच इस कमेंट को कैसे नज़रअंदाज़ किया जा सकता है, “आशिक बनाया आपने में इतने बोल्‍ड सीन किए हैं, तो ऐसा क्‍या करना चाहते थे नाना कि इसने इतना नाटक किया”।

ऐसे कई सवाल मैंने अपने आस-पास या तनुश्री दत्ता पर लिखी गई स्‍टोरी पर आ रहे कमेंट्स के रूप में देखी और पढ़ी है। यहां ये ज़रूर साफ कर दूं क‍ि तनुश्री दत्ता ने 10 साल बाद अचानक नींद से उठकर यह विवाद नहीं उठाया है। वह अपने साथ हुए इस व्‍यवहार पर 2008 में भी हंगामा बरपा चुकी हैं। यहां तक कि तनुश्री ने उस समय इन सबके खिलाफ पुलिस में भी शिकायत दर्ज कराई थी, तो ये सवाल तो कम-से-कम खारिज हो जाता है कि क्‍या वह 10 साल सो रही थीं। हालांकि उस समय यह मुद्दा कितना प्रकाशित हुआ या न्‍यूज़ में दिखाया गया या क्‍यों नहीं दिखाया गया, ये सवाल मीडिया में ज़रूर उठने चाहिए।

सिनेमाई दुनिया मेंं आज भी कुछ खास खानदानों का है वर्चस्व

सिनेमा की दुनिया कितनी स्‍याह और कितनी चमकीली है, ये बात हम सब जानते हैं। खासकर पिछले कुछ सालों तक भारतीय सिनेमा महज़ कपूरों, खानों, चोपड़ा और जौहरों की विरासत ही रहा है। चाहे सिनेमा बनाने की बात हो या फिर सिनेमा में नज़र आने की बात। इसके पीछे के सच कभी सामने नहीं आएं, क्‍योंकि बाहर से आने वाले सालों तक यहां बस अपनी जगह बनाने में ही लगे रहे हैं और ये खौफ अकसर सिर पर रहता है कि ये इंडस्‍ट्री पहचान से चलती है। अगर आप किसी कैंप का हिस्‍सा नहीं हैं, तो काम के लाले पड़ सकते हैं।

हालांकि गाहे-बेगाहे ऐसे कुछ बागी निकलते ज़रूर रहे हैं, जिन्होंने सिनेमा की चमकली दुनिया के पीछे के इस बंद कमरों की सच्चाई को सामने लाने का काम किया है। अब ये बात अलग है कि ऐसे सच बयां करने के बाद अक्‍सर ऐसे लोग फिर कभी इस सिनेमाई दुनिया में नज़र भी नहीं आते।

‘सर्वाइवर शेमिंग’ का यहां भी है प्रभुत्व

फिल्‍मों की जब भी बात होती है तो मैंने अपने आस-पास अकसर लोगों को बड़ा बेतकल्‍लुफ होकर यह कहते हुए सुना है, “अरे, हीरोइनों को तो ‘कॉम्‍प्रोमाइज़’ करना ही पड़ता है” या “एक्‍ट्रेस बनने के लिए थोड़ा बहुत तो ‘करना’ ही पड़ता है”।

हम बहुत आसानी से इस सच को पचा लेते हैं लेकिन वहीं जब यही ‘कॉम्‍प्रोमाइज’ करने वाली या ‘करने’ के लिए मना करने वाली हीरोइन सामने आकर यह कह देती है कि हां, मुझसे इस फिल्‍म के लिए फलां एक्‍टर को इस तरह खुश करने के लिए कहा गया, तो आखिर हमारे लिए इस बात पर विश्वास करना इतना मुश्किल क्‍यों हो जाता है?

जिन फिल्‍मी महिलाओं पर हम बड़ी आसानी से ‘बिकाऊ’ होने का टैग लगा देते हैं, वहीं महिला जब ये सच नंगा कर देती हैं क‍ि आखिर उसे ‘खरीदने’ की कीमत किसने दी तो हम उस ‘खरीददार मर्द’ पर शक क्‍यों नहीं कर पाते?

ये तर्क महज़ सिनेमाई इंडस्‍ट्री से जुड़ा नहीं है, दरअसल ये ‘सर्वाइवर शेमिंग’ की ऐसी पोषित सोच है, जो हमें अक्‍सर किसी भी शोषण की घटना के बाद यही तर्क देने की क्षमता देती है, “कपड़े ही ऐसे पहने होंगे”, “इतनी रात में वहां कर क्‍या रही थी” या “इतने बोल्‍ड सीन कर लिए, अब इन्‍हें फलां एक्‍टर का टच, बैड टच लगने लगा”।

तनुश्री को कई हीरोइनोंं का सपोर्ट मिलना सुकून पहुंचाता है

इन सबके बीच सबसे अच्‍छी बात यह है कि हिंदी सिनेमाई किले में जबसे हुनरमंद ‘बाहरी’ लोगों ने सेंध लगाई है, इस किले के भीतर की नंगी तस्‍वीरें सामने आने लगी हैं। 10 साल पहले जहां ‘हरासमेंट’ की बात कहने वाली तनुश्री की कार पर गुडों ने चढ़कर उधम मचाया था, उनकी गाड़ी के शीशे तोड़े थे, वहीं आज 10 साल बाद इस पुराने किस्‍से पर भी बॉलीवुड की बड़ी-बड़ी हीरोइनें तनुश्री के साथ दिख रही हैं।

स्‍वरा भास्‍कर, सोनम कपूर जैसी एक्‍ट्रेस तनुश्री का साथ दे रही हैं, तो नाना के साथ काम कर चुकीं रवीना टंडन भी इस लड़की को बहादुर कह रही हैं। तनुश्री सही हैं, या नाना पाटेकर, इसे तय करने की एक पूरी कानूनी प्रक्रिया है, जो इसपर अपना फैसला देगी और उसे देना भी चाहिए।

मुझे इस बात पर संतोष ज़रूर है कि कम-से-कम इस ‘बिना खिड़की वाले और बंद दरवाज़ोंं’ वाले किले में रानियां आक्रां‍ताओं से घबराकर हीरे की अंगूठियां नहीं चाट रहीं या अग्निकुंड में देह स्‍वाह नहीं कर रही हैं बल्कि हाथ में तलवार लेकर किले से बाहर आ रही हैं ताकि अपनी अस्मिता के लिए संग्राम करें।

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यह लेख पहले ज़ी न्यूज़ की वेबसाइट पर प्रकाशित हो चुका है। लेखिका ज़ी न्यूज़ से जुड़ी हुई हैं।

The post “फिल्मी महिलाओं को ‘बिकाऊ’ कहने वाला समाज, कास्टिंग काउच पर चुप क्यों हो जाता है” appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Cast: Vijay Raaz, Sanya Malhotra, Radhika Madan, Namit Das, Saanand Varma, Abhishek Duhan, Sunil Grover

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj

Rating: 3/5 stars

The two sisters Champa Kumari and Genda Kumari, are the centre of this new film by Vishal Bharadwaj. “Pataakha” gives a new meaning to the phrase ‘can’t live with them, can’t live without them’. Champa (Radhika Madan) is the elder sister with the nickname Badki and the younger sister Genda (Sanya Malhotra) is fondly called Chuttki. But her English-speaking husband lovingly calls her ‘Marigold’. Champa is a simple girl who has limited desires and seems content with her bidis, cow and a dream to open a dairy later in life.

Younger sister Champa is a dreamer and wishes to become a teacher. She lives in a village in Rajasthan with her father (played by Vijay Raaz). Champa and Genda do not get along, and this is the biggest bane of their existence. Throw in a jester – Dipper (Sunil Grover) an excellent Bharadwaj-character that plays equal parts as a storyteller and a cinematic lubricant. He blends with the raw and rural setting with ease, and you feel drawn to his character.

Plot Synopsis

The film is based on a short story Do Behenien, by Charan Singh Pathak. Bharadwaj has beautifully portrayed the story of these two sisters through the various interactions between them in rustic and filthy language. The story of “Pattakha” is solely based on the rivalry between the two sisters and the reasons behind their animosity. Their father, husbands, family and even Dipper, are characters that only serve as a background to their battlefield. Humour in the film is casual but still topical, as Dipper asks Genda’s husband to stop being “Trump” in one of the scenes.

Many Bollywood directors have tried to portray the essence, language and inherent charm of an India village, but Vishal Bharadwaj takes it one step forward with  “Pataakha”. This is a strange family film that entertains you and is never melodramatic. If there is a movie suitable to be called ‘quirky’ and ‘out-of-the-box’, this is the film that deserves both the titles. Vishal Bharadwaj has experimented with symbolism in this film and a fewer audience can relate to the inner meaning that he is trying to convey. Both sisters can be compared to being like India and Pakistan, and there are many references to partition in the framework. The film offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between sisters, as it takes a completely different dimension.

The entire film is about the sisters, and no one else shares this space. “Pataakha” is also a commercial film with the sisters participating in the song and dance in typical Bollywood fashion. Sania Malhotra and Radhika Madan fit the characters like gloves. Sanya has particularly stood out as the younger sister, although there are moments when her character looks weak. Of the yin-yang combination, Radhika is yang. It seems like the actor has given everything to this performance. Every time Sunil Grover smiles, you want to smile with him. He is explosive but subtle and emotional at times, but at the same time, he does not take himself seriously. The film could have definitely benefited from a tougher editing, but for the most part, I could not take my eyes away from the screen.

The post Review: Vishal Bharadwaj’s ‘Pataakha’ Takes Sibling Rivalry To Another Level appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

This article attempts to critically examine the idea of ‘self’ and the concept of ‘identity’. For this purpose, I have made a humble attempt to analyse Franz Kafka’s famous novella, ‘Metamorphosis’ which was published in 1915. The article also attempts to interpret two profound works of a distinguished philosopher and a scholar, Sir Muhammad Iqbal, widely known as Allama Iqbal,- ‘Asrar-e-Khudi’ (Secrets of the Self), a philosophical poetry book published in 1915, and Rumuz-i-Bekhudi (Secrets of Selflessness) released in 1917.

A person is best when s/he struggles against his/her individual nature. Fighting for life, Franz Kafka studied existentialism and many of his stories, including ‘The Metamorphosis’, revolves around this school of philosophy. Metamorphosis is a story about Gregor Samsa who one day wakes up and realises that he has turned into a bug. Kafka uses existentialism through Gregor’s consequences and struggles in dealing with being a bug, mainly as a metaphoric symbol of his lack of humanity. The instance when his father, Mr Samsa, wounds him by throwing an apple has a great significance in itself that I specifically would like to bring forth.

Apple is a metaphor for wisdom that makes us distinguish between good and bad. In the garden of the paradise. Adam and Eve were allowed to eat the fruit from any tree except the fruit of the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. But since their temptation by the evil made them eat the forbidden fruit; they were exiled from the garden of the paradise. Therefore, an apple may also signify the beginning of an exile or suffering.
Similarly, when an apple hit Gregor, it struck him like a sudden realisation from within. And since the entire family was dependent on Gregor, earning money by working in a job that he doesn’t like was as bad as an exile. “By the apple, your eyes shall be opened;” and their eyes opened too. Gregor realised that his life has certainly changed now. He is different from what he was before. A burdensome, horrible, and verminous creature. And after he is locked in his room all alone, he tries to rebuild the identity that he had sacrificed by living only for others and ignoring his wants and needs. His search for identity seems to be a hapless journey, mostly because he never had an identity of his own. Isn’t that like with most of us?

The apple stays on Gregor’s back, even after his death which depicts the truth, a new identity created by his family. As Gregor approaches death, the apple becomes a burden to him, because he realises he cannot do anything for the family anymore. An apple grows and rots, as the fruit symbolises both knowledge and its result in this case. The decaying fruit implies how the knowledge of his new life and identity also leads Gregor to the ugliness of this situation. A giant cockroach understands a reality which he does not want to face; his family wants him out of the house.

There are fruits of sins and fruits of revenge. As in William Blake’s ‘A Poison Tree’, the apple does not represent the fruit of wisdom. It is a fruit of revenge.

Consuming the forbidden apple in the Garden of Eden may be the sin, but now, it is not. If a man does not gain wisdom and discover their own insights, their life will be a tree without any apples, which is meaningless. The sole purpose gets lost. Similarly, the story of that particular man will be like a diary without any entries.

Allama Iqbal, the popular poet of the 19th century, had the extent of Homer, the philosophy of Dante, the flight of Milton, and the depth of Shakespeare. ‘Khudi’ is one of the key themes in Iqbal’s most of the poetries. The term Khudi means ‘self’. This is the beauty of poetry that even a single verse is so deep; depending on what one wants and how s/he understands. Iqbal could do magic by conveying the message in short verses, something that writers and thinkers like Shakespeare did through their lengthy plays and books.

To understand the writings of Iqbal, one has to be a firm believer in god and believe that destiny plays a significant role in one’s life. No doubt, God has power over everything. But man’s efforts are also rewarded. If one’s intentions are pure, destiny can be changed by selfless prayers and with God’s mercy. The feeling of self is heightened as man’s spiritual journey progresses to the extent that man can explore his true power and understand his purpose in the world. Khudi is similar to the word ‘Ruh’, as mentioned in Qur’an.  Something divine that is present in each one of us as it was in Adam for which God ordered all his creation to bow. However, it depends on us how we cultivate ourselves to realise that hidden spark within us; Khudi.

One can understand the idea of self and the concept of identity like a seed; every seed has the potential to grow and transform into a tree. But, to become a fruitful tree, it has to go through various processes; withstand harsh conditions, break the ground, absorb light, meanwhile, hold itself tight with strong roots and let the shoot come out. Only then, after passing all the stages with the utmost strength, it bears the fruit. Similarly, Iqbal encourages us to travel multiple stages of the spiritual path, which he experienced, to reach to one’s Khudi. However, one thing to note here is that not all seeds turn out to be trees that bear fruits. Likewise, not all can do a scholar in a specific field. Most of us may or may not complete our schooling even. Only few may cross all the hurdles of materialism in them and reach the Mount Everest of spirituality.

The aim of our life should be the self-realisation and self-knowledge, if we all want to live in peace and harmony irrespective of any caste, religion, sex or creed.  We can, indeed. But the question is; do we want to?

Ending with a quote by Iqbal;

“Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har taqdeer se pehle
Khuda bande se khud puche bata teri raza kya hai”

The post Understanding The Idea Of Self And Concept Of Identity Through Kafka And Allama Iqbal appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Salman Khan’s famous tv show – Bigg Boss, becomes all the more interesting with the verbal brawls amongst the outspoken inmates. A few contestants in the current season have been applying every tactic to overcome the obstacles in their rough journey on this show. The contestants often resort to using crude language while arguing with fellow inmates and the fight always takes an ugly turn over petty issues. These verbal entanglements find enough space and importance because of the TRPs they generate.

Hence, nothing remains sacred among the contestants. They fight, laugh and strategize to avoid getting evicted. Insecurity overpowers the participants constantly. The uncertainty of their stay in the house keeps them on their toes and they find themselves trapped in a perpetual state of fear.

During the first few episodes, the show was giving an impression of being relatively peaceful and seemed to be only revolving around the love story of Jasleen Matharu and Anup Jalota. But now it has changed its course, and strategies abound in the contestants’ minds.

Famous singer Anup Jalota’s fascination towards his beautiful disciple Jasleen Matharu was seen when he ‘tested’ her by his method of outing their relationship on the national television even before Jasleen got a chance to speak to her family about it. The girl’s father has now stated that he will not accept their relationship at any cost. Meanwhile, Jalota’s company in the house is helping Jasleen a lot.

The most controversial pair among the inmates is Jasleen Matharu, singer and actor, and popular devotional singer Anup Jalota. She is 37 years younger than him and is also a brown belt in kickboxing. Media expert Dibang who was present on the opening episode of the show did not deter in asking them, who among the two made the first move.

Salman Khan was seen touching Jalota’s feet when he entered the show. He too did not leave a single chance at cross-questioning the pair. The media personalities and the host did not refrain from taking a dig at the age gap between the unusual pair and their love affair. Jalota also mentioned that fellow contestant Karanvir Bohra, was like a son to him and his father is a dear friend. Much younger to this pair was a very young couple from Bihar who entertained the audience in the opening episode. They looked simple, honest and youthful. But envy, misgivings and double standards have been ruling their actions lately. This seems to be their strategy to face the challenges on the show.

Once the number of contestants starts decreasing, the remaining inmates will struggle with trusting each other and seeking shelter on another’s firm shoulder. The scintillating Bigg Boss’ cosy house will then turn into a battlefield. The viewers are enjoying the conflicting emotions of the contestants right now. Contestants’ changing attitude with every passing day makes the show even more interesting.

The post Verbal Brawls Among The Contestants Make Big Boss All The More Interesting appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

The comedy group All India Bakchod (AIB) has come under fire again. This time after sexual harassment allegations against their former colleague Utsav Chakraborty, who has been accused of sending explicit messages to women, including minors, on social media.

AIB issued a statement yesterday against the incident clarifying their stance:

A statement ; We're sorry pic.twitter.com/Lpa9HKyORb

— All India Bakchod (@AllIndiaBakchod) October 5, 2018

Many people on Twitter took advantage of the situation to abuse AIB with #AIBalatkaris and #AIBidiots. While some used these hashtags  to express their anger, for some it was a moment to vent out their anger on AIB’s political stance and their views on other issues.

When you are an @AllIndiaBakchod employee and haven't sent a dick pic to a girl in 5 minutes.#AIBalatkaris pic.twitter.com/hDaQIClVXj

— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) October 4, 2018

Though AIB has issued an apology and has made their stance clear, some people want to make it look like everyone in AIB is a rapist.

RT If You Feel AIB Should Be Renamed As AIP. #AIBalatkaris pic.twitter.com/V545xKiTl9

— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) October 4, 2018

Some others were just happy that AIB is under fire and mocked their founder:

Happy to see that .@AllIndiaBakchod is mocked on the grounds they use to mock others
Finally #Bastards like @thetanmay got the taste of their own medicine.
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.#AIBalatkaris #AIB #AIBalatkari

— Tushar Maurya (@Tushar_Maurya_7) October 5, 2018

A Twitter user joined a thread started by Utsav Chakraborty to talk on worst-kept secrets in the Indian comedy circuit, where she called them out for asking minors to send ‘nudes’.

On the other hand, it was sad to see a woman using this as an opportunity to troll ‘feminists’:

Is it a coincidence that all the women who are low-key supporting these filthy #AIBalatkaris also happen to be ‘feminists’

— Avani (@avanibidwalkar) October 5, 2018

Then, there will be some like this person:

liberandus & bar girls who find AIB pedophiles funny r mostly self declared feminists, seculars. no wonder these crackpots & dolts r just about vagina & boobs.. sik #AIBalatkaris

— Avinash singh (@Dbang_bihari) October 5, 2018

Though, we can argue that AIB could have taken a stronger stance earlier. It’s not appropriate to call everyone in the group a paedophile for having a political stance you disagree with.

Let’s make this moment powerful – so that more woman can come out and talk about their experiences, instead of making this just a means to fulfil your agenda. All India Bakchod has come under fire again after they issued a statement on Twitter to clarify their stance on Utsav Chakraborty.

The post AIB Trolled On Twitter Over Allegations Against Utsav Chakraborty appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Tanushree Dutta’s allegations of sexual harassment against Nana Patekar have spread like wildfire in Bollywood and the entire nation. Mahima Kukreja has also accused stand-up comedian Utsav Chakraborty for acts of similar nature.

While Nana Patekar is yet to give a statement, we can conclude from his 2008 interview, that he does not understand what happened and what Tanushree felt. All of this was just too dirty for him to react since Tanushree is ‘beti jaisi’ for him.

On the other hand, Utsav reacted instantly and probably in a rushed state which is evident from his weird apology where he turned out to be the ‘victim’, according to him.

Good news: AIB issued a statement on this with an apology, no excuse, supporting zero tolerance policy on such misconducts and offering to cooperate further on this matter. Kunal Kamra has issued his version too which is better than silence and actually what is expected from an ally. #WokeMillennials or so we think.

Bad news: Bollywood is turning out to be pretty old-school in their reaction, and most oldies like Amitabh, Aamir, Salman, Shakti Kapoor have dodged questions from the media and pretended to be clueless. They seem to be suddenly looking towards law on the social issue of sexual harassment in the workplace like it’s a new concept to them. Somewhat relieving is Bollywood’s younger generation, the woke millennials who have at least reacted with much more maturity, without taking sides by emphasising that the issue is severe enough to be talked about. They spoke about better policies, attitudes, and handling of such matters and the need to be more active while dealing with such incidents.

Regardless of what happens in the future, what we now see is that the apologists’ response to such allegations seem like they have no clue about how their actions have affected their victims. And when someone points this out, how do they react? Well, in a way that makes them look stupid and immature. So, here’s an open letter to them:

Dear Nana, Utsav and the likes,

When a woman says she felt uncomfortable with your touch or straight up shows you screenshots of your messages and unsolicited dick pics to her as evidence to her claims, here’s what you can do:

1. Listen

It is natural to feel defensive or attacked in a situation like this when the woman (who was supposed to be a complicit and polite creature historically under a patriarchal regime where power dynamics play a crucial role) raises her voice and talks about sexual misconduct/assault/abuse she faced at your hands. While you know best in your heart what you did, sometimes it is also possible that what you thought was ‘normal’ (due to social conditioning growing up in the patriarchal society or a cave) or ‘non-offensive’ may have come across to the woman as offensive.

First of all, listen to the whole story, the complete allegation before you start acting clueless or defensive. Sometimes even if you may not have intended to assault ‘on purpose’, to her, your touch must have come across as such. So listen first, step in her shoes and try to understand where she is coming from.

2. Acknowledge

Acknowledging your actions is a decent and respectful way to react when facing allegations. Whether you did what you did purposefully or not, the least you can do now is acknowledge what happened and that you are apologetic.

3. Apologise Like You Mean It

When you say you’re ‘sorry’, you do not need to follow it up with a ‘but’. When you keep pushing your story it counts as defending yourself  and looking for excuses. It’s not a real apology. If you are unapologetic for what you did, that’s totally up to you. But if you say you are apologetic, then understand what an apology is. Any number of excuses you offer, and worse, if you turn out to make yourself the victim, you are not doing it right.

Your sad story or whatever genuine mental health issues you are facing or abusive experiences you have faced, do not give you the license to abuse others. There is no excuse for abuse period.

4. Cooperate

With an apology, plainly and simply, put yourself out there and offer to cooperate. Ask how can you make it right. What is it that they want from you? Trust me; this will make things easier for both the sides rather than demeaning each other, calling names, self-victimising or seeking support from political parties.

5. Promise To Change

And by promise I mean, a ‘gentleman’s word’. Your sorry does not mean much if you go around and do the same thing when the lights are off. Whether or not someone is watching or capable of complaining, mind your actions. Change for real.

Guys, is it really that difficult to understand CONSENT?

I shall make it easy for you. Imagine a person you are working with who touches you inappropriately or sends you pictures of their genitals. The way you cringe and react now – that’s exactly how women feel and how quickly women pick on the verbal and non-verbal cues that YOU dismiss.

PS Nana Ji, Tanushree is a grown woman and was one back then in 2008 when she accused you. Constantly referring to her as ‘bachi‘ and ‘beti’ is belittling and condescending. Of course, it is a garb that you use to create an image in the minds of viewers of a decent ‘fatherly figure’. Kindly, treat women as human beings and respect us like that. We don’t have to be your sisters, daughters or mothers all the time.

The post Dear Utsav And Nana, Here’s How You Respond To Sexual Harassment Allegations appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

A statement has been made by various individuals and groups from Hyderabad in support of actor Tanushree Dutta and her brave fight against sexual harassment in the Hindi film industry. The recent statements and interviews given by Tanushree Dutta where she has recounted the harassment and intimidation she faced during a film shooting back in 2008, have once again brought into focus, the pervasiveness of a culture in Indian film industries that allows men to objectify women, harass them, intimidate them and exploit them with great impunity. Moreover, it is the harassers who use the law to further intimidate the victim.

We keep hearing about the continued verbal threats and legal notices that the actress is receiving. Dutta’s experience also shows that even educated, upper-middle-class women who come with some amount of social and cultural capital are not immune to a routinely degrading treatment which is accepted as “normal” in the industry.

In this particular case, when she complained about her co-star, Nana Patekar’s unacceptable behaviour, not only was her complaint ignored, but she was instead pressurised to continue performing with him by the dance choreographer, the director and the producer. And when she refused to do so, instead of changing the dance steps or trying to persuade her co-star to behave in a more dignified manner, his political supporters were brought in to tame her and punish her. We watched with horror the shocking videos of the attack on her car that are being re-circulated in the media. The videos clearly show a mob of angry men yelling at her, breaking her car’s windshield and wipers, jumping up and down on the roof with the police only pleading with them to stop. If this is the response to a complaint of harassment, is it any surprise that most women choose to keep quiet, endure and suffer the treatment or forego many opportunities or even quit the industry?

Therefore, we think that it took extraordinary courage and moral stamina for Tanushree to complain to the CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association) and the police back in 2008, although nothing came out of it, and to once again bravely recount her experiences today after ten years! We must express our complete support and solidarity with Tanushree. It is high time we collectively think of ways to ensure that all women are guaranteed dignity, safety and security at their workplace.

Over the last one year or so, different events have created a space for women to speak out about their experiences and demand justice. The formation of the Women in Cinema Collective in Kerala where many top actresses and female technicians from the Malayalam film industry raised their voice against sexism and misogyny is one such example. They submitted a memorandum to the CM of Kerala too. The other is the protest by actress Sri Reddy against the harassment and exploitation of women in the Telugu industry which inspired a number of women, mostly character and dialogue artists, to speak out. Their anger and anguish at the blatant culture of demands for sexual favours, discrimination on the basis of skin colour, economic exploitation by the brokers and agents who fetch them roles in films, all these led to a sustained agitation with the support of several women rights activists and trans-activists. Memorandums with several demands were placed before the Cinematography Minister of Telangana, the State Women’s Commission and the Film Development Corporation. Even a PIL was recently filed in Hyderabad High Court to demand a high-level committee to investigate the matters of sexual harassment and exploitation of women and transgender people in the Telugu film industry.

The time for recognising and addressing the problem of sexual harassment of women cannot be put off any longer. It is heartening to see the slow but steadily growing support for Tanushree from her colleagues in the industry. We also appreciate the fact that CINTAA has expressed support for the actress and acknowledged its failure to address her complaints in 2008. But they should not use their rules to say that a ten-year-old complaint cannot be taken up now. The time for justice is always NOW! The #MeToo movement in Hollywood led to action being taken for the wrongs committed more than a decade ago by men like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. Admittedly, that’s something our film industries can emulate. Support from the film fraternity will not only give hope to Tanushree and vindicate her courageous stand but will also give hope and strength to many other women to finally voice their complaints. Therefore,

 – We demand that CINTAA should amend their rules and immediately take up this issue.

 – We condemn the fact that both Nana Patekar and Vivek Agnihotri, have issued legal notices to Tanushree Dutta to harass her further and intimidate her.

 – We demand that both Patekar and Agnihotri submit themselves to the grievance redressal mechanisms within the industry, namely CINTAA

Here is the list of people from different organisations who have expressed solidarity with Tanushree Dutta:

K. Lalita, Anveshi RCWS

Rama Melkote, Retd Professor, Osmania University & Anveshi RCWS

Susie Tharu, Anveshi RCWS & Retd Prof of Literature and Film Critic

Veena Shatrugna, Anveshi RCWS and Retd. Assistant Director, NIN

Sri Reddy, Telugu Film Actor

Apoorva, Telugu Film Actor

Sherin B.S., EFL University

Uma Bhrugubanda, EFL University

A.Suneetha, Anveshi RCWS

K. Sajaya, Activist and Columnist

Vasudha Nagaraj, Lawyer

Chaitanya Pingali, Lyricist

S. Seethalakshmi, Independent Researcher and Consultant

Asma Rasheed, EFL University

S. Ashalatha, Women’s Rights activist

Girija, B, State Project Co-ordinator, One Stop Centre Scheme, TISS and Women Dev and Child Welfare Dept, Govt of Telangana

Vimala Morthala, Activist and writer

Sister Lissy, National Workers Movement

Nikhat Fatima, Civil Rights Activist, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee

Khalida Parveen, Amoomat Society

Sudha Murali, Child Rights Activist

Rachana Mudraboina, Telangana Hijra Instersex Transgender Samithi

M. Mandakini, Lawyer

Anjali Khemani, Disability Consultant

Jayasree Subramanian, Academic

Kaneez Fathima, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee

Gita Ramaswamy, Hyderabad Book Trust

Malini Subramaniam, Independent Journalist

Tejaswini Madabhushi, Hyderabad for Feminism

Shalini Mahadev, Hyderabad for Feminism

Gitanjali Joshua, Hyderabad for Feminism

Shraddha Chickerur, PhD Candidate, University of Hyderabad and Hyderabad for Feminism

Tashi Choedup, Genderqueer Buddhist Monastic, Human Rights Activist, Interfaith Activist.

Lakshmi Kutty, Health Researcher

V. Sandhya, Progressive Organisation of Women

Sarah Mathews, Sankalp Women’s Support Alliance

Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, RTI & PIL Transgender Activist

Monalisa KMV, Secretary, Telangana Transgender People’s Association and Member, Mobbera Foundation.

Aisha Farooqui, Retd. OU Professor & Anveshi

Madhumeeta Sinha, EFL University

Akhileswari Ramagoud, Retd. Professor

Anjali Rawat, Lawyer

Satyavati Kondaveeti, Bhumika Women’s Collective

C. Vanaja, Independent Journalist Filmmaker

Nazia Akhtar, Independent Researcher

Ambika, Social Activist

Indira, Amanvedika

Haritha Busarapu, Yugantar

The post Various Groups From Hyderabad Come Out In Support Of Actor Tanushree Dutta appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Written by Mansi Rawat for ED Times

A version of this post was first published here.

Procreation is a constant process. A progeny is not only a source of comfort but also a carrier of one’s lineage. The family name is passed on for generations, and therefore, it’s ‘necessary’ to have a child. The entire objective of marriage comes down to reproduction, unfortunately. The intimacy, sexual pleasure might be lacking, but the result is essential (a baby boy preferred).

This desperation to have a child has led to a lot of uncalled practices, one of them being Niyoga Dharma.

Niyoga Dharma: What Is This Practice?

Niyoga means “delegation”. In ancient India, it was a practice of forming a temporary alliance to produce a child, in case the husband was impotent or dead.

In the Hindu religion, it is considered the duty of a man to provide his wife with a child. Only on the completion of this duty, a man can enter heaven.

In case the man is unable to fulfil his duty, apart from the shame he has to bear; he also has to assign a temporary partner to his wife to complete the ‘purpose’ of marriage.

Ideally, the closest option the husband should consider is his younger brother, and his next choice should be a Brahman. As per the Hindu mythology, sometimes, gods have also descended to produce kids.

We have several instances of Niyoga Dharma in our epics. In Mahabharata, Pandu’s wives Kunti and Madri had children, although this wasn’t considered a Niyoga.

Pandu expressed his despair at the prospect of dying childless to Kunti and advised her to go to different men. Kunti used the boons given to her by Sage Durvasa to bear three sons—Yudhishthir, Bhima and Arjuna.

Not only in Hinduism, practices such as levirate marriages have been mentioned in Christianity, Judaism, Islam and many other religions.

Surrogacy: A Modern-Day Niyoga Dharma?

With times changing and development taking place in every field, our ideologies have also evolved. But, the importance of a child and family name continues.

The stigma around surrogacy still exists; as infertility is considered a curse. A lot of couples never come out in the open – because pregnancy and infertility are still hushed issues.

Surrogacy has been normalised now to a great extent, with celebrities like Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan resorting to it. India legalised commercial surrogacy in 2002. Since then, our country has been the favourite destination for people wanting a surrogate child. But the cheap availability of the service has also led to the issue of exploitation.

Thus, we can say that in modern times the practice of Niyoga survives in the form of surrogacy and artificial insemination. A new and more critical element is the consent within the couple. It’s an informed choice made by husband and wife and does not exist within rigid boundaries of caste.

We usually talk about how women are seen as the victims, but under the practice of Niyoga, men seem to be the real victims. The shame brought to them is unparalleled. Wearing a mask of ‘tough men’, while patriarchy strengthens its roots, makes the shame of being infertile a deplorable condition.

The post Surrogacy And Artificial Insemination Were Also Practiced During The Times Of Mahabharat appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Recently, a woman came out in the open to talk about sexual harassment in comedy circles, Bollywood, and even in media. The credit goes to a Twitter thread started by Sandhya Menon. Her effort was widely appreciated, and many women have come out to narrate their experiences since then.

Another journalist, Rituparna Chatterjee got trolled for her soft stance in one of her tweets criticising former AIB comic Utsav Chakraborty, accused of sending explicit messages to women, including minors, on social media.

Dear @Wootsaw, since July I’ve volunteered personal time to hear women privately when they needed to vent. I’ve lost count of the phone calls from women who felt lost, angry. I’ve broken down myself. Not one of those women abused men. Help me understand why you did what you did.

— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) October 4, 2018

Awwww….so much love with sexual predator

— आप चोर हैं! (@AapChorHain) October 4, 2018

Scrolling through all the tweets, I could see a similar pattern to what happened in the case of author Harnidh Kaur. The issue no longer was about the tweet to Utsav; people turned it around to attack her mindlessly. Twitterati also accused her of being soft on Utsav’s ‘pro-feminist’ stance.

Some ppl accused me of making apologies for a serial offender. Those who follow me will know that’s laughable. Point I was making: of the women I spoke to with mental health issues, no one’s harassed men. So help me understand how he thought he is entitled to harass a woman

— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) October 5, 2018

Rapist are Dear to her #Feminist

— Mrityunjay (@indomitablesoul) October 4, 2018

Harindh Kaur, known for her strong stance on women empowerment issues, has faced hatred online too. She had to deactivate her account owing to the abuse she received when her close friend took advantage of his position to exploit teenage girls, which she was unaware of. Though she clarified that she calls out predators irrespective of their ideology or stance on issues; people were not ready to buy her arguments.

People are going to compare on Social media and will call out your feminism when it treats 2 criminals differently for the same crime against women. You don't want judgement, better keep it to yourself instead of venting out on social media. His objection is valid.

— Hound (@vabskrishna) October 4, 2018

Earlier, it was Anna Vetticad, Parvathy, Swara Bhaskar, Harnidh Kaur, Rituparna Chakraborty facing harassment for voicing their opinion on social media. It’s no longer about questioning Chatterjee’s soft stance on Utsav – it’s all about patronising a woman who expresses a strong opinion on various issues. The reason is the inability of a group of people to tolerate a strong, independent woman with an opinion.

The post Journalist Rituparna Chatterjee Trolled For Her Tweet To Utsav Addressing Him As ‘Dear’ appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

My timeline today was flooded with posts and news items about the Vikas Bahl controversy. I empathise with the woman who went through all the trauma and harassment while Vikas Bahl went on making films and carried on with his life without an ounce of guilt. I also read a statement issued by Anurag Kashyap on this matter in Pune Mirror. The partners of Phantom movies have decided to dissolve the company, and Anurag Kashyap has publicly apologised to the victim. While his apology can’t undo the damage caused, I appreciate the decision taken by Anurag Kashyap and other partners of Phantom Films, even if it’s a little late. According to his statement, the company did not have any provision of sacking an equal partner, which is, unfortunately, the truth. And considering the amount of money involved, reputations and careers/jobs of many people at stake, it was a very difficult decision. The company has displayed a strong moral stance by debarring and suspending Bahl and removing his signing authority.

No one can compensate even a small part of what the victim lost in the process including economic, mental and social stability. I hope that she goes public and files a case against Bahl. People like Bahl must be shown their rightful place in the society. However, I also want to emphasise on how blaming Anurag Kashyap, and Phantom films for the episode might not be the solution to the problem. I am writing this – not because of my liking for Anurag Kashyap and his movies, but because of my own experience.

I have worked in the IT industry for the last ten years, and I must say that it’s one of the most female-friendly, transparent and considerate sectors. However, there are always some sour apples everywhere, and I had to deal with one such in my career.

It was 2013, and I was about to join this person’s team.  He had a reputation of being rude, harsh and extremely insulting towards his female colleagues. I was joining the team in spite of that because the work entailed something I loved. But within a week, I understood his behaviour. I had to be in touch with him all the time as I was directly reporting to him. However, most of the times it was him shouting and I listening. Every single phone call was a nightmare as he would keep on scolding and screaming for every single thing that went wrong in the team. He was vicious while using his words and his constant criticism was eventually draining my confidence. It was constant mental abuse, and I had no choice but to ride it out. And it was the same with most of the female employees from the team, except his favourites and close friends. The shouting and abusing happened in full display in front of all other men, but no one dared to stand up against him. This went on for a year.

I decided to raise my voice, finally, when I couldn’t take it anymore. After he left, I called my super boss and explained the situation. Coincidentally, the same day, the super boss got a call from one of my colleagues, and she had the same things to say about our boss – shouting, mental abuse, deliberate criticism meant to break the confidence etc. Later, I came to know that there were some official complaints made against him by some of the top bosses within the business unit as well.

The super boss was incredibly supportive, and he asked me to write an official email which I did. The matter was taken up to the human resource team. One-to-one meetings, calls, official emails followed including some sessions with him, his super boss and the human resource team. We were sent emails providing support and assurance that everything will be ‘taken care of’. But in spite of promising confidentiality, the fact that I made an official complaint was leaked. On one side, I received a lot of feedback from my colleagues and some employees I didn’t even know thanking me for taking it up while on the other hand, I became a face of dissent – the one who raised her voice, the “problematic” woman. I did not realise it back then. And when I realised it, it came as a hard blow.

Even after so many meetings/emails and calls, he was not sacked from his job. He was just given another job for a couple of months where he did not have to ‘deal’ with us. And after that, he was moved to a better, glamorous job where he only got more visibility, power and control.

As for me – my appraisal was ruined; I received the least rating that year. Some of my important tasks were snatched and assigned to others. No one ever said anything to my face – I got this message indirectly.

Why did this happen? Why couldn’t they just sack him after so many incidences recounted by many people and that too publicly? I knew the reason – money and position. He is an extremely ambitious person who can go to any lengths to achieve his target. He had good relations with the top bosses and most importantly – “he delivered”. He had all the data and statistics which showed how much money he had saved for the company and how much he had earned in profits – even if that money was a result of his team’s hard work.

That was the only reason he survived. That was the only reason he was not sacked. That was the only reason the company retained him. That was the only reason he continued with the same attitude in a different team with other female employees.

Why let go of a manager who brings in money for the sake of a moral stance that too for an average “female employee”?

Unfortunately, this is the way it has always been. Money is the most important thing for companies. Reputation is what matters the most. Companies are willing to do anything to save their reputation, including covering up such incidents. They will keep mum, compromise and ignore the women. Ruin their careers and shut them up.

It’s a really bold move by Phantom Films to come out and name Vikas Bahl. They have done so, knowing they will have to deal with legal issues. They have opened themselves up for public criticism and shaming. They have given a public apology and accepted their failings.

Looking at some of the comments and criticism hurled at Phantom films and Anurag Kashyap, I feel this is uncalled for. What they have done is sensible and morally correct – even if they are late in doing so. We are witnessing a rare situation. As the #MeTooIndia movement gains momentum, let us not get swayed in the rage, but appreciate the small, little positive things that are coming our way. Let us not dismiss Anurag’s apology. This should be taken as an example for other companies to follow. If we keep on criticising such bold steps, it will only discourage other companies in coming out to support the victims.

The post Here’s Why I Support And Believe Anurag Kashyap appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Hindu epics have always been an integral part of our existence, Ramayan and Mahabharata being the most important ones. The verses and lines emanating from these epics are used to justify a life of righteousness and integrity in our society, define our culture and direct our festivals. The myths, folktales and stories from these epics portray the characters in them as ‘Gods’, and therefore, they are considered to be ‘right’ in all circumstances. But, are they always an epitome of uprightness and virtues?

Like a Chinese whisper game, which modifies the meaning of words passed through several ears, the folktales have been perceived and interpreted differently over the centuries and generations. When these epics were first conceived, they were worshipped like a holy textbook, proclaimed to be containing the essence of life. The world, people and their thought process were different then. Though the country was in a developing stage, the wave of westernisation had yet not settled in. At that point, the understanding of the people was constrained; they believed that every character was either white or black, good or evil, right or wrong etc. The segregation was simple. There was good and evil, symbolising god and demon. It was believed that the demon sins, challenges God, and then the all-powerful God of that era kills him using the powers he earned through years of penance and ‘tapasya’. Ideally, every other mythological story had the same fate and ending. There was no ifs and buts, no deviation from the basic narrative convention, and the characters who played significant roles in these stories.

For example, in Mahabharat, the Kauravas were evil and therefore, were killed by the Pandavas. In Ramayana, the demon king Ravana was malicious and immoral, so, he was vanquished by Ram. It was as plain as that for the generation that lived and thrived ages ago.

Gradually with time, this world opened up, and the globalisation crept in bringing in a sea of new thoughts and beliefs in India. People started to look beyond the mugged up tales and stories of the epics, repeated and venerated for ages, and eventually dared to challenge their logic and foundation. They decided not to follow the tales they heard and read blindly. They refused to take in the hearsay moral values being force-fed by the elders since generations. They understood that inside all these tales and behind all these characters; was an ordinary life story which achieved the grandeur only due to the rhetoric added to the tale with every retelling. Characters made immortal through these tales, were indeed humans like us; who followed the society’s path and lived through different relationships. They made mistakes, felt guilty too, and were not as chaste as they were portrayed to be.

Lord Rama was indeed a ‘supreme God’ as he willingly left his kingdom and family to obey his father’s command, but he was wrong to doubt his wife’s character when she was called unchaste by someone. The concept of polyandry was also introduced by these epics, where among other countless examples of multiple marriages, Draupadi married the five Pandavas.

There has been a shift in the way these epics are seen now, as society evolved, people’s thinking also evolved; along with the rising intellect of the communities. Now, people are interested in following only that part of the story which can be backed up with logic and reasoning. Vast strata of the society have removed the blindfold which once directed their course of life. Guided by new age thoughts, perception and outlook, these intellectual people are radicalising the public through books, web series and documentaries on these epics. Gods and demons are now envisioned in a different light altogether. These are complex documentation of incidents that may have happened thousands of years ago, but they also contain the concentrated values of life, with an insight into our problems and their probable solutions. However, they also contain the same probability of error and blunders, which an ordinary man commits and tries to escape afterwards.

Every character in Mahabharata is a distinct personality; with both a good and an evil side to it. If we look closely, every character has shades of grey; which may not be visible on the surface and hence, a little hard to understand.

They might be the epitome of righteousness and valour, or courage and integrity, but they have committed grave mistakes defying their strengths. The five Pandavas, known to be the brave and noble, were unable to save the dignity and respect of their wife after she pleaded for justice in the court of king Dhritarashtra. They were held by the core value of ‘dharma’ – a principle they followed.

Whereas, surprisingly in the epic, Ramayana, the demon king Ravana, known to be evil, whose effigies we burn as a symbol of the victory of good over evil every year; did not even touch Sita while she lived in his kingdom. The tales advocate that she was treated and kept as a royal queen during her stay, even when she was abducted. However, unfortunately, on her return, she had to undergo a ‘fire test’ to prove her chastity in her husband’s court. Do I need to say more?

Many times, when we read and try to understand the complex characters of these epics, woven in various shades, we realise that these characters are as humanly and normal as we are. Just like us, they made mistakes and were punished too. Unlike our judiciary, which takes years to give judgement, every person who committed a crime back then was punished instantly in the form of curses and ‘karma’.

My reason for comparing these epics to our lives today – is to emphasise on the fact that we are nobody to judge anyone for their actions. We are exactly like these characters from different epics, and we still derive values from them and reject what doesn’t fit into our current scenario. A human makes mistakes; he is capable of being both – good and evil. He also has a grey side and has superpowers too. We are all capable of changing the world if we concentrate on our strengths and always keep a clear conscience.

As it’s said ‘to err is too human, to forgive is to divine”.  We all make mistakes, and therefore, we have no right to judge anyone for the same. Everyone has a story to tell, about their stormy life and the challenges they have faced; it’s only a matter of how we perceive life and react to it.

In the present society, when we believe that Drapaudi was chaste married five men; we should keep a broad outlook when we see a girl going out with her male friends or enjoying the life they do not approve of. When you are okay with marrying your daughter off to a stranger, then you should be comfortable with her going out with her male friends too.

As the societies have evolved, the communities have started reading between the lines, which were hidden beneath the surface of blind faith until now.

In many places today, the demon king Ravana is worshipped and is respected for his intellectual qualities and valour, rather than just rebuking him for abducting Sita.

However, completely changing the mindset of people and especially the older generation is a difficult task. In a society where patriarchy rules the decision making of the households, these epics are used and followed at one’s convenience. And because these customs have been followed for ages, the women of the house believed them to be their fate and valued them as the right way of living their lives.

The crux of the matter is that ‘right and wrong’ is highly subjective. It all depends upon how we see things. We all need to change our perception of how we look at and believe things to be. We should handle every situation in an unbiased manner, taking every aspect into account; before we make any decision.

Life should be perceived by the way it is lived today and not based on some age-old beliefs.

The post We Can Still Derive Life Lessons From Ancient Hindu Mythologies appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Past events of brave name dropping and firm assertiveness by Tanushree Dutta has carved a path for many more victims to come forward. In this sense, Dutta has become a torchbearer of the #MeToo cause.

It is no surprise that Bollywood has tried to dismiss complaints of new actresses and shut their doors to those who have raised even a squeak -let alone have their story heard. Most debates about the issue of women coming out with horrific stories from their past have resulted in the question – why now? Although, a valid response, could have been extending support and taking action.

Tanushree Dutta’s case is not different. Dutta was not the most established actress; however, the accused actor was. It is this experience and standing that prevented her from getting a suitable response from any cogent authority. Now the question arises, is it only the seniority and stature of the actor that made him so blatantly ignorant of Dutta’s rights as a human being?

One issue that #MeToo movement has come to highlight – is that it’s not seniority or stature, neither age that defines what ‘boundaries’ are. It is the perspective that some men seem to have acquired – that they can somehow make a woman or a child feel uncomfortable for momentary pleasure at the cost of their right to dignity.

It is not a discovery that has roped in through the movement, but it is an appropriate reminder for us- that women have not achieved the status of dignity that their male counterparts casually enjoy. Many similar stories have now found a platform, the ever-expanding space of the social media is now being used to let out the shunned fears and unheard tales of violations at the hands of people who perpetuate and encourage crimes against women.

One such case that has come to light is of Vinta Nanda, the writer and producer of the 90’s hit show Tara, who has spoken up about the years of torture and shame brought upon her by a leading actor in the show. Nanda’s story is 20 years old, but what it encapsulates is that women who are molested or raped cannot be subjected to a specific timeline for them to come out. There are several factors at play and situations to tackle, and the fear in their mind – is the biggest culprit of all.

Victim blaming and character assignation our society is conditioned to do – are merely dust in a looming sandstorm. What follows after a trauma, is devastating enough to break the very soul of a person. Victims are always asked to prove the truthfulness of what happened, to make matters worse.

This issue of ‘proof’ arises when some elements misuse the power and protection provided to them. The question that remains is why is that protections not extended towards someone who is harassed and violated. The law makes provision for both the protection of the victim and the one falsely accused; yet, the ignorant layman asks for proof only from the woman. We should keep in mind that the provisions can be misused by both the parties involved.

Surprisingly, the onus lies upon the victim to prove the reality of events, but not on the accused to prove their innocence. This is where we need the change. There is a need for us to ask relevant questions by bringing the accused down from the pedestal, and avoiding victim blaming at all costs.

The post After Tanushree Dutta, Vinta Nanda Comes Out With Her MeToo Story After 20 Years appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Throughout most of the history, across the world, women were relegated to the confines of the domestic sphere. Women were prohibited from enjoying any legal, political, or economic rights, and were primarily regarded as instruments for men’s happiness. From the Renaissance through the Enlightenment period, women did experience some improvement in their social position, mainly through the various forms of media; however, for the most part, they continued to be denied access to the public sphere. Despite massive efforts from all sections of society to counter the dark past and build an egalitarian society; we still stand way too far from achieving that utopian goal.

During the 18th century when the European world was being rebuilt on the ideals of equality and liberty, it turned out that these ideals were limited to just one section of society: men. Women were still considered as second-class citizens who had no say in the political matters of the country. We’ve come a long way in the last 200 hundred years with various feminist waves sweeping the world. The feminist movement of the west has gone through three different stages. Media played a central role in these movements and continues to do so. The uprising of these movements garnered media coverage and ultimately changed the business of the media world. Women became writers and editors and thus, got a platform to tell their stories and express how essential women rights are for everyone. Coverage of women issues in media is inadequate both qualitatively and quantitatively. Hence, it becomes very pertinent to talk about the role of women in news making itself.

When we talk about coverage of women issues, we generally tend to talk about cases of physical and sexual violence. Now, these are gender-specific issues that need to be talked about in the context of women. But, beyond that many more issues need a gender-based perspective. For example, drought in Maharashtra in 2014 and the stories of water wives related to it or say lack of proper sanitation system in rural areas and its impact on the safety of women are equally important issues that need to be taken up. But this can be possible only when there are more women at every stage in the news-making.

Journalism due to its very nature is not perceived as an ideal job for women. But despite this, we see a lot of prominent women journalists across the globe. However, that doesn’t mean that all is well for women in the media industry. The fact is that men still dominate newsrooms. There are some women editors and CEOs in the urban media, but moving towards the suburban and rural areas the condition gets worse. Sexism in media has many facets. Sales department tends to hire beautiful looking women. Female journalists, more often than not, are denied highly political and financial beats and are expected to cover softer stuff.

Today, we have many exemplary women who’ve not just made it to the top but have held their grounds effectively. Few names that immediately strike up while talking about successful female journalists are Barkha Dutt, Radhika Roy, Sonia Verma, Durga Raghunath, Shereen Bhan etc. However, it is still a long way to go to make the newsrooms idealist, liberal and egalitarian platforms – that they’re supposed to be. An adequate number of women in the media will result in better representation of women’s issues which in turn may give birth to a more inclusive society.

The post Women In Newsroom: Low Participation, Inadequate Representation appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Love it or Hate it; but you cannot ignore the #MeToo movement. This highly controversial but much-needed movement has its fair share of evangelists and detractors.

The bomb can explode anytime on the entire film industry. Also, it could percolate to the other sectors as well.

The #MeToo victims are emerging from the past and sharing their stories. Their stories are bringing all the skeletons out of the closet.

While the celebrity version of the #MeToo stories is sad, it’s very amusing at the same time.

The extremities of cacophony and stark silence caught my attention and interest. And I couldn’t help penning down this roast.

Anurag Kashyap is calling out sex offenders? Oh yeah! It’s like pot calling the kettle black. Next what, Shakti Kapoor calls out Gulshan Grover?

Sajid Khan turns out to be not-so-slim-shady after all. I am not surprised because his jokes and movies have always been sexist.

Aamir Perfectionist Khan stays true to his Satyamev Jayathe image by showing his solidarity for the #MeToo movement.

Akshay Patriotic Kumar is exempted from his #MeToo duties because he’s busy doing toilet and sanitary napkin promotions. Plus his wife’s twinkly image works to his advantage.

Maybe Nana Patekar has hope. His charitable acts may just save his skin. If Salman’s Being Human image can maaf saath khoon, why not!

Also, where’s Shahrukh’s head currently buried?

Karan Nepotist Johar is busy perfecting his pout and prepping his peepers for his upcoming steaming show.

Amitabh (Nah!)Bol Bachchan is, of course, above all such movements. Kyunki Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, na mumkin hain!

And trust Kangana Opportunist Ranaut for yelling from every rooftop possible.

Also, Kareena Non-Feminist Khan has preferred to stay mum because she is all for gender equality but not faaaminism. #NotHer for sure.

Finally, I’m praying Saroj Khan doesn’t pop out of nowhere and make another insane comment on how ‘yeh sab toh chalta rahata hain’ (All this is pretty normal in the industry) and break into a jig to her cringe-worthy ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ song.

Bollywood is a mental asylum.

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We know that this is risky business, speaking from the shadows, from the grave even. We’re not here really; it’s like we don’t exist – like we’re not meant to be.

When the world outside is aflame, then how can we stay silent?

We want to add our stories of violence through you – our peers in journalism, our colleagues, bosses, and rivals – to the stories that are rapidly increasing, and ask you how things can change for us. With no laws or committees, no forums online or offline, no networks of power, and not even credibility – when we begin to speak will you admit to your wrongs? Or will you say, as you always have, that we shouldn’t be here in the first place, so why complain about it? The way you said on Facebook, ‘The next thing you know, Sunny Leone is going to say she was assaulted too.’

Will the thousands of brave women who have shared their stories – amplify our quieter stories of everyday harassment too – so that you realise this will not be tolerated any more?

“I trusted you, despite the rumours that flew wildly when we were seen together on your bike when our selfies reached Facebook. But it became too much. The case of sexual assault I was able to file, miraculously, got you in jail for a brief period, but it has ruined my career. I have no colleagues, friends, family who stand by me. You are untarnished, and I have nothing. I am a Whatsapp joke to you now, you brag about the case I filed against you. People, including women in my profession, say I got what was coming.”

Our stories come from Aligarh, Mahoba, Banda, Chitrakoot, Guna, Meerut, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Samastipur, Rewa – no small town with a woman journalist lacks for these stories of battling sleaze and abuse, every single day. We have been told, again and again, until it rings in our heads, in our offices, outside the district headquarters, outside the police station, inside the police station: Why don’t you go into the beauty parlour business? Start a Kirana store? Can’t you get a job as a teacher or a nurse? Do you think you’re going to become a ‘Collector’? It’s not good for a woman like you to be roaming around all day in the hot sun. You should take care of how you look. Wear a bindi and a sari. No sindoor? Oops, did we send you a ‘blue film’ by accident? Didn’t know there was a woman on this media group. Sorry madam, galti se chala gaya hoga.

The echoes of your taunts and laughter, your complicity with/in the system that wants us there, sharing space, sharing power, as little as you do – have forced us into shame, doubt and despair – even death.

“There was a girl I knew… She was selected in [a major national daily]. Her in-charge was in Agra. Now I don’t know what her connection to Agra was, nor what their relationship was, but the in-charge was fired. The girl was kept on, but she was so stressed, I don’t know why, that she left and joined [another major Hindi daily]. This rumour flew around that the in-charge had misbehaved – aise dekh liya tha, vaise dekh liya tha (seen in her compromising positions). Her new in-charge then treated her badly (itna shoshan kiya) to the extent that she became mentally disturbed. She was from Hathras, that girl.”

Power works differently in our mohallas, galis, and chaurahas. We live tightly bound to community structures – you are often our distant relatives, neighbours, watchdogs very much interested for some reason in keeping us restrained. Upper caste men aren’t too keen on watching girls from their community running around reporting. They like to keep them in check – like they can do with their daughters-in-law and their wives. Yet, despite the close distances, and with little knowledge of other women in other places, or the power of a hashtag, we have spoken and acted, using our voice and the broken tools of the law. It matters to us that we speak up, otherwise, why would we be breaking all barriers to do what we do? If we don’t call you out – the representatives of the fourth estate, then how will we call out any other wrongful use of power?

You stalked us, on the phone, on the streets of our towns, driving close or stopping right in front of us, saying, with the lewdness dripping off your faces, ‘come, let’s do some journalism together’. You’d rub up against us, in court, or at the site where a crime is being covered up, and slip notes into our hands, provoke, tease, humiliate us about not knowing how the game is played. You refused to comment on our best stories, claiming that it would set off rumours in the office of your ‘unprofessional behaviour’.

You didn’t seem to think about this unprofessional behaviour nor community mores when you were Whatsapp-ing us at midnight and commenting on our profile pictures and urging us to agree to rendezvous, which you wouldn’t entertain for your good wives and daughters. We filed complaints, were forced out of online spaces where we had just made an entry, and for our efforts, got retaliatory FIRs from you, prohibitive fines, and permanent labels – the whore who dared to speak.

“In the state capital, I went to the HR department in my newspaper’s office with my appointment letter. The person at the newspaper office told me to take a room in a hotel for the night and stay back and that he would be there to speak with me. When I flatly refused he told me, ‘Suno Madam, patrakaarita karna hai na to sab kuchh karna padega, hotel bhi jaana padega aur wahaan uthna baithna bhi padega (Listen, madam, if you want to work in journalism, you will have to do everything, you will have to go to hotels and do whatever is expected there too). I got very angry and tore up the appointment letter there and then and threw it at his face. I knew I had no access to the owner and his contemporaries would never stand up to him. In an office, rarely do people like this stand up against one another. How long would I have fought with him given I was in another city?”

We feel relieved now that there is a platform and a movement that promises to expose the abuse that keeps us tied down, under the control of a power structure. But there is a dark place in our minds where this relief refuses to reach those of us who continue to fight or those who have been defeated. The memory of a friend and colleague, a single woman trying to make it in the world of small-town journalism, and who was pushed into despair and lonely death, only earlier this year, with no resonating cries off or online continues to haunt.

Our struggles are of lone women operating with few avenues to reach out, with little or no support structure to fall back on, at home or in the world. Whatever defence mechanisms we have, come from our instincts, dressing down our personalities, keeping multiple SIM cards, or leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, creating our informal networks to seek help when we’re in danger.

We’re saying #metoo, but we fear it isn’t enough to jolt you out of your comfortable place of power and entitlement or to provide us scaffolding when we are jolted out of the space we have created for ourselves.

Text in italics, excerpted from Zile ki Hulchul (2014), published by the Women Media and News Trust, are interviews with the small town and rural women reporters, edited for clarity.

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There are films which engage you, and then there are films which expect you to surrender your smartness to the filmmaker because she/he’s always a step ahead than you. Andhadhun is one such film. It’s that kind of a movie where you can predict that something unpredictable is going to take place but it doesn’t give you even a single second to think of what next twist the director will play on you. The film will shock you, move you, and baffle you but most importantly it grips your attention like no other film has this year.

This highly engaging thriller delivers shocking twists every ten minutes in the movie, but none of them feels illogical because the psyche of its characters drives them. The human mind is capable of doing absurd things when faced with any problem, and this film shows exactly that. It also seamlessly blends humour into scenes that aren’t funny in the sense of the consequences they could have. Such tonal shifts could feel jarring in an average film, but Andhadhun is no average flick. It’s a cinematic masterpiece and a thriller for the ages. Another wonderful aspect of this film is that you never know when the climax is around as the film is always much smarter than what the audience believes. The ending is going to raise a lot of questions as the makers have gone for an open ending. It worked amazingly well as people are going to discuss about it, dissect it, create theories around it, and what not. It’s a film which is not going to be forgotten anytime soon.

Ayushmann Khurrana as a blind piano player gives the best performance of his career. His motivations may not always be pure, but you can’t help but root for his character. Tabu plays Simi, and the only thing I can reveal about her is that she is bonkers good in the role. Other significant actors like Manav Vij as a cop, Zakir Hussain as a hilarious doctor, and Anil Dhawan as a bygone era actor are tremendous in their parts as well.

But the real star of this film is the director Sriram Raghavan, who has delivered a film which is going set the benchmark for all the aspiring directors dreaming of crafting a perfect thriller movie. He executes every scene with so much cleverness that you can’t help but be left admiring his vision and what he manages to achieve. The pop culture references are also imaginatively included in the scenes which indicate the director’s command over his craft. Take a bow, Raghavan!

The post Andhadhun Review: An Engaging Thriller That Will Outsmart You appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Today, feminism is identified with the likes of Kangana Ranaut, forgetting all about social reformers such as Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh. Feminism has been reduced to bold statements and personal life issues of celebrities and about justifying wrong decisions. Such things can only be an extension of the concept of feminism but can form the core of this movement.

Under the #MeToo movement, a statement by Kangana Ranaut on Hrithik Roshan came yesterday – that said ‘people should not work with him as he kept his wife as a trophy and indulged in relationships with younger women’.

Her recent statement has context, according to Kangana she dated Hrithik while he was still married. So, this implies that a movie star like Kangana was so immature and helpless, that all the burden of this extramarital relationship shifts on the man. Is it the right thing to say? Is this what feminism means? Is it only the duty of a married man? Does it not demand morality on the girl’s part who chose to indulge with a married man? Is the #MeToo movement about women finding faults with men they dated in the past or about sexual predators preying on vulnerable women?

How is Hrithik Roshan wrong in dating while being married and Kangana Ranaut right in dating a married man?

Recently, the whole society fought for making the Adultery law gender-neutral, and the highest court of the country said that Section 497 was found on the concept that a woman loses her individuality once she is married. The court observed that under this law women were treated like the husband’s property.

Earlier, if a married woman indulged in adultery, her husband had the right to take legal measures against the man involved with his wife, shifting all the burden of the extramarital relation on the man – sparing the woman and hence, making her the property of her husband. A woman had no right to take legal action against her husband and the woman he was involved with if a man indulged in adultery.

What Kangana is doing, has a lot of essence of section 497. She shifts the burden of adultery on the man, sparing herself and ignoring the impact her action (indulging with a married man) had on the wife of the man she was involved with. It is his wife’s right to hold him and Kangana accountable for adultery. But what Kangana is trying to do is shift the blame entirely on the man.

Is it not the responsibility of a woman to empathise with other women? If Kangana considers herself a feminist, was it not her responsibility to empathise with Hrithik’s wife and not choose to be in a relationship that can severely impact another woman? Is feminism not about solidarity?

This hypocrisy has led to women being the carriers of patriarchy. A woman imposing patriarchy on other women, for example – the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship; a woman competing with other women over a man and indulging in character assassination of each other; women propagating rumours about each other out of culturally ingrained ideas of patriarchy – that teach women to be jealous of one another; one woman indulging with another’s husband and shifting the blame only on the man etc have all been the product of the same.

Choosing to date a married man is right and dating even after being married is wrong, what sort of hypocrisy is this?

Does feminism not demand morality from the women? Or it’s all justified as movies like “Lipstick under my burkha” endorse. To have the right to make mistakes, does not mean throwing morality away in the trashcan. And by morality here, I do not wish to narrow it down to fidelity, which is only expected from a woman. There is a broader meaning to morality that involves the elements of humanism, sisterhood, empathy and compassion.

If Kangana wants people to stop working with Hrithik, for his infidelity, then she should also do the same as an equal partner. Is feminism not about equality? Or has it been reduced to women posing as victims where there is no victimisation – forgetting the fact it was personal choices made by two adults?

Reducing feminism to personal affairs and choices is a crime towards women empowerment.

#MeToo movement where on the one hand there are spine-chilling experiences of Vinta Nanda and Saloni Chopra, and on the other hand – are relationships that went sour and now women using the #MeToo space seemingly as a revenge tactic against their exes. We need to understand what this movement is about and what it should not be labelled as. We need to call out fake feminism, that has much to do with class and personal affairs than gender-based issues.

I disagree with Kangana Ranaut and call her out for using the women card to her likeness. Be it the case of accusing Sonu Sood of quitting Manikarnika, or targeting Roshan for personal reasons, the ease with which she uses the women card is not just worrying, but also against this women’s movement itself. She has no right to name her endeavours and interests as broader concerns of feminism.

While respecting her struggles as a small town girl in a nepotism-filled industry, I cannot sympathise with her on every count – because she does not have the liberty to use women card as and when she likes to do it.

It’s time we stop encouraging such pseudo-feminists and demarcate the liberties that can be taken in the name of feminism.

It’s about me, about you, about every woman across all the classes, castes and communities, who don’t have the luxury to indulge in affairs with married filmstars and use their privileged stance to call out their exes unnecessarily under #MeToo.

Feminism and related movements are about fighting for equal rights for women and fighting against the oppression of women as a whole and not about a personal affair gone wrong. It’s about women empowerment and not about playing the ‘woman card’. It’s about a woman who became the victim of mental and sexual harassment by a man from her neighbourhood, office, peer group or sometimes by her partner, and not about an actress struggling to seek revenge.

It’s high time we call out every woman like Kangana who uses her agency as a woman to undermine the cause of feminism and powerful movements like #MeToo.

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A little background about me before I answer this question. I have completed my bachelors in Mass Media (Journalism) and then did my law. I had a short stint as an Entertainment Journalist, and presently, I practice in Media Laws and IPR. So, I know quite a few people and have worked with a few celebs and start-ups. During my Mass Media days, I had a professor, who along with her husband was working as an Assistant Director with a reputed Director in the film industry at that time. I remember she had once told us during a lecture, about these particular actors who act ‘sanskari’ onscreen but in real life are ‘womanisers’. Some of them need different women every day, and some require a specific type of women to be a part of their shoot always. A quick search on Quora will give you the details of these so-called family men.

Post-college a few of my friends, also started working as AD on different sets, initially they were more of a source of gossip, and we felt entertained with their news and scoop, but later on, during my stint as an Entertainment Journalist, I had actually witnessed these creepy old uncles openly approaching aspiring models. I also overheard once at a film’s launch party, how the producer had booked a few rooms in the same five-star hotel, where the party was held, for the actress of the movie to ‘entertain’ the guests. I also met Kailash Kher once at SAE Andheri, for an interview, where there were many other journalists. He called the journalist he thought was the ‘prettiest’ ahead and told all the rest that he would give the interview to her first and then we could either take notes from that or talk separately to him. She was from a reputed Hindi News Channel. I was a 19-year-old nerd – young and stupid. I thought he was giving her this exclusivity because of the big channel banner. But reality struck me when I saw that 10-minute interview, he held her hand throughout. It took me a while to understand what was going on.

The #Metoo Movement is now a revolution and a much-needed one because:

1. Sexual Harassment – whether the victim is male or female is wrong. It’s high time that we talk about this, accept this and find a solution for the same.
2. A person from any gender or background can be the victim.
3. Most of the people who have been accused in this movement are either people who are senior established professionals or youngsters, who got the money, power, fame, and position – giving them the agency to exploit others.
4. Thanks to the social media and WhatsApp, it is no longer possible to keep a lot of dirty secrets, this movement will now make both men and women alert about their dirty secrets and the consequences of the same.
5. It will make our society more responsible and empathetic towards victims of sexual assault and harassment.
6. Yes, there have been cases of a few girls, who have been trying to misuse this movement, but the men accused falsely were able to handle the situation, and this should not tarnish this important movement.

I hope this movement is taken seriously and people get back to their senses. Just a request, please do not use this momentum for your revenge.

The post MeToo Movement Is Now A Revolution And A Much Needed One appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

मध्यवर्गीय मनोदशाओं के संवेदनशील व अग्रणी प्रवक्ता ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी हिंदी सिनेमा में विशेष महत्व रखते हैं। सामान्य मुख्यधारा से एक स्तर ऊंचा मुकाम रखती है ऋषिदा की फिल्में। उनका सिनेमा एक रचनात्मक संवाद का दस्तावेज सा मालूम होता है, जिसमें मानवीय आचरण व व्यवहार की अनदेखी मीमांसा व्यक्त हुई है। उनके पात्र व कहानियां जीवन की एक विवेचना होकर भी उससे काफी निकट हैं। बनावटी प्रसंगों एवं तत्वों से प्रेरित कथानक यहां दिखाई नहीं देते।

30 सितंबर 1922 को जन्मे ऋषिदा की फिल्में आंखों में खुशी और गम के आंसू सींच सकती है। आज के हिंसक-बर्बर एवं दिशाहीन समुदाय ने शायद ऐसी फिल्में कभी नहीं देखी हैं। वहां आपको वो सबकुछ मिलेगा, जो आज बड़ी मुश्किल से पर्दे पर दिखाई पड़ता है।

ऋषिदा की दुनिया दरअसल उस स्वर्णिम दौर का जहान रही, जब मुख्यधारा का स्वरूप बाज़ार द्वारा उतना अधिक तय नहीं हो रहा था। उनके सिनेमा में ‘मनोरंजक’ प्रस्तुति एक स्तर के अनुशासन के अधीन थी। उन्होंने बताया कि फीचर फिल्मों में ‘मनोरंजन’ से क्या आशय होना चाहिए। उनकी फिल्मों में लोक-समाज को कुछ देने की काबिलियत थी। उनकी कहानियों में लोग अपनी ज़िन्दगियों का अक्स देख सके थे। आनंद सहगल (आनंद) का ही उदाहरण ले लीजिए जिनकी जीवनी से ना जाने कितने लोगों को सार्थक ज़िन्दगी की प्रेरणा मिली।

ऋषिदा ने बताया कि भव्य लोकेशन व सेट्स फीचर-फिल्म को प्रभावी नहीं बनाते। फिल्मों की विवेचना ‘उपयोगी संवाद’ नज़रिए से करने पर हमें यह मर्म समझ में आता है।

सितारों की पॉपुलर छवियों को चुनौती देकर ऋषिदा ने अच्छा काम किया। इस पहल से स्टार का दर्जा रखने वाले कलाकारों को शिल्प का रुतबा समझ आया। लाइमलाइट की दुनिया में अमरता का मार्ग अर्थपूर्ण प्रस्तुतियों से मिलता है। 60 और 70 के दशक में बेशुमार फिल्में बनी। समझदार सितारे भव्य से अधिक ‘महत्त्वपूर्ण’ फिल्मों पर ज़ोर देते रहे हैं। इस स्तर की प्रस्तुतियों में निभाया गया किरदार स्मृतियों में काफी समय तक रहता है। कभी-कभी दर्शक इसे आजीवन भुला नहीं पाते।

ऋषिदा ने चोटी के कलाकारों को लीक से हटकर किरदार दिए, जो आगे चलकर उनके लिए काफी महत्त्वपूर्ण भूमिकाएं साबित हुईं। इस तरह उन्हें सितारों की छवि से हटाकर किरदार का महत्त्व बताया। इस खासियत की वजह से ऋषिदा को काफी सम्मान मिला। राजेश खन्ना, अमिताभ, धर्मेन्द्र, शर्मिला टेगोर और रेखा के संपूर्ण फिल्मी सफर में ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी की फिल्मों का बहुत महत्त्व है।

विज्ञान के छात्र होने के नाते उन्होंने स्वयं को भावी विज्ञान शिक्षक के तौर पर देखा होगा लेकिन कौन जानता था कि एक अलग ही मंज़िल उनका इंतज़ार कर रही है। रसायन में स्नातक ऋषिकेश ने कुछ समय के लिए गणित और विज्ञान भी पढ़ाया लेकिन उन्हें जाना तो कहीं और ही था। फोटोग्राफी में रुचि ने उन्हें कोलकाता  में ‘न्यू थियेटर्स’ के साथ काम करने का एक छोटा अवसर दिया।

उन्हें लैब सहायक का काम मिला। काम करते हुए फिल्म उद्योग के बारे में बहुत कुछ सीख लिया। एक करीबी मित्र इसी कंपनी में ‘संपादक’ का काम भी देख रहे थे। खाली समय मित्र के पास बैठकर ज्ञान में इजा़ाफा करने का शौक हुआ। संगत में संपादन प्रक्रिया के बारे में समझ हुई। संयोग से ऋषिदा की काबलियत ने बिमल राय का ध्यान केन्द्रित किया और जल्द ही उन्हें ‘तपीश’ के लिए साईन कर लिया गया। अपनी क्षमता को लेकर ऋषिदा में हांलाकि आत्मविश्वास की थोडी कमी थी, फिर भी अवसर की चुनौती को स्वीकार किया। इस क्षेत्र में सफल होने बाद वह एक बार फिर शिक्षा की ओर आकर्षित हुए और उच्चशिक्षा के लिए स्टुडियो छोड़ने का अप्रत्याशित निर्णय लिया लेकिन बिमल दा ने उन्हें रोक लिया।

बिमल राय उन दिनों कलकत्ता से बंबई जाने की योजना बना रहे थे। बाम्बे टॉकीज से उन्हें बुलावा भी था। उन्होंने ऋषिकेश को भी चलने के लिए कहा। मुंबई आने बाद ऋषिकेश ने फिर कभी पीछे पलटकर नहीं देखा। बिमल राय ने अपनी प्रोडक्शन कंपनी ‘बिमल राय प्रोडक्शन’ को कायम कर उसके बैनर तले ‘दो बीघा ज़मीन’ का निर्माण किया। इस फिल्म को देश-विदेश में ज़बरदस्त सराहना मिली।

कम ही लोग जानते हैं कि ‘दो बीघा ज़मीन’ सलील चौधरी की एक रचना पर आधारित है। ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी फिल्म के मुख्य सहायक निर्देशक व संपादक हैं। बिमल राय के सान्निध्य में रहते हुए फिल्म बनाने का ख्वाब दिल में पल रहा था। ऋषिदा एक आत्मनिर्भर निर्देशक की पहचान बनाने के लिए अग्रसर हुए। बिमल राय की ‘दो बीघा ज़मीन’ के निर्माण के वक्त उनका ध्यान पास के एक मकान ओर आकर्षित हुआ। इससे उनकी कल्पना आंदोलित हुई, दिन गुज़रने के साथ उस दुनिया के जादू में खुद को गिरफ्त पाया। यह सिलसिला ‘मधुमती’ तक जारी रहा। फ़िल्म ‘मुसाफिर’ इसी संक्रमण की एक अभिव्यक्ति के तौर पर देखी जा सकती है ।

ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी जो ‘मधुमती’ का संपादन दायित्व निभा रहे थे, अक्सर उस मकान को जिज्ञासा से निहारा करते। उन्हें उन लोगों का ख्याल कौंध जाता, जो कभी वहां आबाद थे । उस मकान से दिलीप कुमार एवं ऋषिदा को फिल्म का आइडिया मिला। इससे प्रेरित ‘मुसाफिर’ तीन परिवारों की दास्तान को बयान करती है। यह परिवार उस चारदीवारी में एक के बाद आकर रहे। हिंदी सिनेमा में इस मिजाज़ की कहानी को अब तक नहीं आजमाया गया था। ऋषिदा को विश्वास था कि यह प्रोजक्ट बॉक्स-ऑफिस पर नहीं कारगर होगा लेकिन दिलीप कुमार आश्वस्त रहे कि यह एक सफल उपक्रम है। नतीजतन दिलीप साहब ने ऋषिदा को इसके लिए हिम्मत व प्रोत्साहन दिया।

जैसा कि ऋषिदा का पूर्वानुमान था ‘मुसाफिर’ बाक्स-आफिस पर नहीं चल सकी लेकिन फिर भी गुणवत्ता के स्तर पर फिल्म अपने समय से काफी आगे थी। निश्चित ही यदि ‘मुसाफिर’ पर पुनर्विचार किया जाए तो यह एक क्लासिक फिल्म साबित होगी। इसकी गैर-पारंपरिक थीम हर समय में प्रशंसा बटोरेगी। फिल्म ने ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी को राष्ट्र्पति का पदक दिलाया और राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार निर्णायक मंडली का विशिष्ट प्रशस्ति पत्र भी मिला।

ऋषिदा को पहली बड़ी सफलता राजकपूर-नूतन अभिनीत ‘अनाड़ी’ से मिली। बॉक्स-ऑफिस पर ज़बरदस्त कामयाब हुई इस फिल्म का निर्माण एल.बी. लक्षमण ने किया था। उस वर्ष अधिकतर अवॉर्ड्स ‘अनाड़ी’ की झोली में गए।

ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी की अच्छी फिल्मों में ‘बावर्ची’ का भी नाम आता है। यह कहानी एक बंगाली फिल्म की रीमेक थी। मूल संस्करण में शीर्षक भूमिका रवि घोष ने जीवंत की। कहानी एक रसोईए के सदगुणों को प्रस्तुत करती है। वह परिवार में सदभाव व सामंजस्य भाव की महत्त्वपूर्ण कड़ी है। कहा जाता है कि ‘बावर्ची’ के मुख्य पात्र में हृषीदा ने अपने पिता का अक्स देखा था।

अभिनेत्री बिंदू को एक नई छवि देने का श्रेय भी ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी को जाता है। फिल्म ‘अभिमान’ में उन्हें एक नया जीवनदान मिला। अभी तक वह केवल ‘वैंप’ तक सीमित थीं। कटी पतंग, जंजीर और इम्तिहान के साथ स्वयं को स्थापित करने बाद बिंदू परिवर्तन के लिए बेचैन थीं। सौभाग्य से उन्हें यह ब्रेक ‘अभिमान’ में मिला। हृषीदा ने उन्हें एक कोमल दिल छवि का किरदार दिया। इसके बाद फिल्मकारों ने बिंदू में एक अलग छवि को पाया।

निर्देशक बनने से पहले ऋषिदा ने संपादन व पटकथा लेखक का काम किया। बिमल राय की मां, दो बीघा ज़मीन, बिराज बहू, देवदास, मधुमती जैसी यादगार फिल्मों की पटकथा लेखन व सहायक निर्देशन किया। ऋषिदा के संदर्भ में एक दिलचस्प पहलू उनकी टीम भावना से जुड़ा है। इस मामले में वह बेहद संवेदनशील रहे। यूनिट सदस्यों की निरंतरता को दूर सफर तक कायम रखा। यह परिवार एक संयुक्त परिवार सा मालूम होता था। अंत समय तक यूनिट में ‘परिवार भाव’ जीवित रखने के लिए प्रयासरत रहे ।

आज ऋषिदा का महत्त्व पहले से कहीं ज्यादा है। उनकी फिल्में व किरदार एक कोमल स्पर्श हैं। कड़वे अनुभवों की दु:खद व त्रासद दुनिया में इस तरह के सकारात्मक प्रयासों की बहुत ज़रुरत है। सिनेमा के माध्यम से समाज को विमर्श की ओर आकर्षित किया जा सकता है। इस संदर्भ में ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी की फिल्में उपयोगी हो सकती हैं ।

The post “ऋषिकेश मुखर्जी जिन्होंने बताया भव्य लोकेशन फीचर फिल्म को प्रभावी नहीं बनाते” appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

In certain jokes floating through social media, I have seen the phrase “that escalated quickly” many times. Given the situations it gets used in, I find it hilarious. The same happened with the MeToo and MeTooIndia hashtags on Twitter – but in an extremely serious way. They started trending slowly but then hit the high notes so loud – that these hashtags are now on the brink of creating a crucial social movement.

It all started with the details of one powerful man floating around, but no one was ready to take his name. Then someone did. Women journalists pounced on it and his name became a raging wildfire. M J Akbar, a lion in journalism and now a cabinet minister in the central government. It turns out he was a predatory lion, using his centre stage stature in the journalism industry – to sexually abuse young women journalists, and use his cape of power and influence to silence his victims and devour their self-respect and dignity.

Bollywood actor Alok Nath’s name came up next. This epitome of culture, decency and ‘sanskaar’, is a good-old rapist. The embers have now caught fire and names of corporate honchos and familiar names from the film industry followed. Social media has lit up. Journalists and ordinary people alike – are baying for the blood of these sexual predators.

I got into a row with popular South Indian singer Chinmayi Sripaada on Twitter. She had called Vairamuthu, a songwriter of almost legendary stature, who has collaborated on many of the Tamil songs with A R Rahman. Many aspiring singers and artists who had been abused by him were reaching out to Chinmayi and asking her for help in disclosing their experiences anonymously. My problem with this is two-fold. How did the situation deteriorate to the level where so many women in the case of M J Akbar were reporting their abuse stories now when some of them had happened almost two decades back? Because they kept quiet. So, I wrote to Chinmayi requesting her to reveal the names of the victims, as keeping quiet for so long and hiding behind anonymity are the reasons why sexual abuse has become a daily affair and common practice in the corporate world. She replied to me saying that these women have their careers to worry about – which is why they cannot call out their abusers. Exactly.

Abusers are feeding on this fear to continue harassing women. If Chinmayi had spoken out about her experience long back, many younger singers might have escaped being preyed on by Vairamuthu. This is just one aspect of the situation. Victims are forced to compromise on their self-respect and dignity and they choose to suffer the indignity in silence. Moreover, all men have become potential predators in the eyes of women, it’s sad how women fear men trying to engage with them even in light-hearted conversations.

Women have also been complicit in helping create such a toxic work environment. While they have waded into a male bastion demanding equality in work and social status, this is not a utopian world where men would step aside and let women take over the reins of power from them. What would men seek from women in return other than sexual favours? The ones who agreed – laid the foundation stones of the system. From then on, everyone who went on to enter the system was conditioned to live in the system. Demanding sexual favours from female colleagues became accepted behaviour for men holding powerful positions.

Women who couldn’t deviate and come around to accepting all of this were scarred mentally because of the abuse. Now, the heritage of the system has been handed down to the next generation of men – who have only grown to become more brazen in their actions.

What is astounding now is, other than a few murmurs in the movie industry and corporate offices, there’s almost a deadly silence. It is improbable that the world of glitz, glamour, fashion and wealth could be a perfect world. Rather, it almost seems like everyone has taken shelter for the storm to pass. Shobhaa De, the acclaimed writer and journalist, was on TV to talk about sexual abuse in Bollywood, and she said the ones who have been caught in the net are the expendables and small flies. The big and the mighty ones are hiding in plain sight. She was right on the money. Women have had to go through hell and back especially in the movie, aviation (airline) and healthcare (nursing) industries to just hold on to their jobs. But not a single mouth is opening to complain. Goes to show the height of male dominance – which in turn shows how low women have been buried in the mire of sex, abuse, and oppression.

Every individual’s responsibility in society is to make it better for the next generation. It is not enough that we only try to make our children’s lives better. A life with self-respect and dignity for everyone should get priority over everything else in society. All urban men who become influencers in society are raised in similar environments. Then, how do some go on to become such wily predators? It is upon every individual to introspect and ask – do we want to continue living inside such a slimy system, where we have to keep worrying about our women’s safety and well being all the time?

MeToo and MeTooIndia is a desperate call for change. They are the atomic bombs of urban society, and their explosions have been triggered. What the abusers and predators fear is the mushroom cloud that emanates from it and envelops one and all. This movement may be the only chance for women to go up in arms against their tormentors. This has to become a revolution, cleanse the urban world, and its fire should also spread into rural heartlands. Women have always called out for equality and empowerment and their time to take centre stage – seems to have finally arrived.

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