TW: mentions of rape, sexual abuse and objectification
India has earned its title of ‘rape capital of the world,’ mass rapes have become routine and sexual violence against women is normalised and often overlooked.
The most recent case of a trainee doctor’s gang rape inside a hospital has once again, brought up uncomfortable truths about a country that calls itself a global leader.
In 2011 the National Crime Records Bureau of India released data that revealed a woman was raped every 20 minutes. Ten years later, it became one woman raped every 16 minutes, despite being in a global pandemic. This was a 20% increase from the last year, with over 31,000 rapes recorded. In 2021, an ABC analysis revealed a woman was raped on average every 17 minutes.
So, what’s Bollywood got to do with it?
Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world, producing up to 2,000 films per year: double the output of Hollywood.
They consist of songs, dance a love interest, an unapproving family and lots of drama.
Most Afghans, like me, have become self-proclaimed ‘Bollywood fanatics,’ with these films being present in our childhood and watched in most Afghan households.
But there’s a dark reality behind this booming industry: it thrives on female subordination.
Films have up to seven songs, including an ‘item song.’ These often have no relevance to the storyline of the film but are catchy and urge you to dance. They feature a well-known actress to help promote the film before its release.
It’s easy to notice a similarity between all item songs: a woman dancing whilst being
surrounded by drunk men or gang members, while they cheer and attempt to grab/touch her.
‘Chikni Chameli,’ known as the biggest item song of 2012, in Bollywood. Source: Yahoo
Looking back on all the biggest hits, it’s easy to wonder: How did she feel while performing this?
Yashvi Doshi, a UNSW politics student who spent seven years living in Mumbai says there’s been an increase in item songs. She describes them as ‘portraying women as an object of male desire’, through their clothing and dance moves being “provocative, sultry and coy”.
“I do think this adds fuel to the fire. I wouldn’t condemn the women in the songs – but instead the public’s perception of them”.
This isn’t to say Bollywood is the whole problem. Social, cultural and moral issues are deep-rooted in India’s patriarchal system.
Doshi explains how she visits India once a year and became aware of this ‘unfortunate reality [for women]’ at a young age. “I started to notice how men would shamelessly stare at me… I would be in sweaters and jeans, and they’d continue to make me feel incredibly uncomfortable… nothing deters them”.
In late 2012, a 23-year-old medical student was gang raped on a bus, so violently that she was left for the dead. The victim was given the name ‘Nirbhaya’, or ‘fearless’, by the media. Her attack led to law reforms and global protests.
Three years after the incident, a documentary was made about her attack, but was banned by the Indian government, claiming that it ‘advocated for violence against women.’ In reality, the documentary revealed statements made by members of the right-wing Bhartiya Janata Party or, the BJP and exposed the mindset of the men in power.
“A woman with self-respect would end her life if raped or will try from preventing it from happening again (India’s Daughter, 2015).” Footage from this documentary is now going viral on TikTok.
The documentary includes an interview with one of the rapists who says “a girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy. A decent girl wouldn’t roam around at night.” Source: Youth ki Awaaz
In 2018, an 8-year-old Muslim girl was drugged, taken to a Hindu temple by Hindu fascists and gang raped inside. Her body was found by locals, and Hindu nationalist supports of India’s ruling political party, the BJP, ‘defended the perpetrators’.
Let’s bring it back to Bollywood, the industry that plays a key role in shaping and reflecting ‘social attitudes.’ Virat Nehru, an Indian Australian writer, and literary critic.
tells me songs and lyrics have “historically objectified women”.
Here are a few item hits and their translation; ‘Chikni Chameli’, the song says, ‘the beautiful girl has come secretly and alone, drunk from a few shots.’ The dancer then goes on to say ‘I’ll play with hungry lions, I’ve roamed all sorts of places.’ ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ ‘Sheila’s killer youth’ and ‘Beedi’ , meaning ‘cigarette’ – the song is essentially saying ‘light your cigarette from my bosom.’
‘Sheela ki Jawani’ still. Source: YouTube
Part of the problem is how Hindi film lyric writing has been a ‘distinctively male domain’, Nehru explains. There are fewer female composers in Bollywood, and “lesser female film lyricists who could challenge the dominant male gaze”, he says.
“Bollywood is an inherently and quite unapologetically patriarchal and sexist industry where geriatric male superstars who should’ve long ago started playing roles that suit their age still choose to romance young women on screen with age differences that would put Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating history to shame”.
In 2023, controversial Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga released ‘Animal’ which earned $10 million in its opening weekend.
But Virat Nehru isn’t shocked, “mainstream cinema is a reflection of the society that it’s born from…The entire ecosystem services the male gaze.” To him ‘it’s no surprise’ that a film like ‘Animal’ (2023) is one of the highest grossing Bollywood films ever.
The film has been described by other critics as a ‘regressive Bollywood blockbuster‘, and depicts several scenes of domestic and sexual violence, justified by the main character.
In 2019, the same director produced Kabir Singh, another hit which drew criticism for being misogynistic. Singh in the film is depicted as a violent alcoholic and in one scene threatens to rape a woman when she refuses to have sex with him.
“Mainstream Bollywood is becoming more and more unbearable in its jingoism and chest-beating hyper masculinity by the day”, Nehru says.
Sandeep Vanga’s films and success only reveals how much the Indian audience seem to approve of these plots and protagonists.
Animal (2023) on the left and Kabir Singh (2019) on the right.
Abhranil Hazra, is someone who frequently visits India and watches Bollywood. He believes that Bollywood should be more ‘responsible’ in the type of films it produces, however thinks that it would have ‘little to no effect’ on societal attitudes towards women, even if they were to become a ‘feminist utopia.’
“The truth is there will always be a market in India who wants to watch reactionary and misogynist films like ‘Kabir Singh’ or ‘Animal,’ that’s why these films keep being made. Films at the end of the day cater to their market and if a good chunk of your market holds reactionary views then your films will reflect that”.
But Bollywood isn’t to blame, according to Hazra. “If that was the case, then every Indian would have had a love marriage by now or would fall in love with people they’re parents disapproved”.
So, what does the path forward look like? “Societal change is key”, he says.
“Once Indian and South Asian society shifts on the issue of patriarchy only then we will see films which aren’t problematic to women being made”.