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“Marital rape is tantamount to sexual slavery”

Shibani Bathija, award-winning film writer, will give her take on marital rape through controversial play ‘The Vagina Monologues’, on Sunday.

Come Sunday, January 06, 2013, a special show of The Vagina Monologues will be held at the Comedy Store in Mumbai. In attendance will be Eve Ensler, Tony Award winning playwright, performer, and activist, who is the author of The Vagina Monologues. Eve will be in the city for the launch of ‘One Billion Rising’, a global movement to demand an end to violence.

Taking part in the readings will be screenwriter Shibani Bathija, whose last film was My Name Is Khan. Shibani spoke to Salil Jayakar on her participation in the special show, what she hopes it’ll achieve and whether it’s time for the film industry to do some introspection.

Excerpts from the interview:

Shibani, you’re reading a piece you have written on one of the ongoing debate areas on rape. Could you tell us about it? 

I have taken on the issue of marital rape to draw attention to the fact that women are not protected from it under existing Indian law. So, potentially a woman can be raped over a lifetime and have no recourse. It is tantamount to sexual slavery.

Why marital rape? Do you know of any personal instances? 

By and large women don’t talk about rape, and often in the case of marital rape they are given to understand that it is ‘duty’ and not rape at all, so no, I don’t personally know of instances but these are some stats I found. In the present day, studies indicate that between 10 and 14 per cent of married women are raped by their husbands: the incidents of marital rape soars to 1/3rd to ½ among clinical samples of battered women. Sexual assault by one’s spouse accounts for approximately 25 per cent of rapes committed.

This is a benefit show. Whom will the proceeds go to?

The beneficiary of all our fundraising around Eve’s visit and launch of One Billion Rising is largely SNEHA (www.snehamumbai.org) which works in Dharavi and across five other centres in Mumbai.

Do you think that a show like The Vagina Monologues can really highlight this sensitive issue? 

Yes, I think it can, as the first step is awareness and through fiction and even humour, a bright light can be shone on issues that are often avoided or then misunderstood by more people than we imagine.

A section of media and society has been clamouring for a ban on item songs in films. Your take? 

I think the issue is first violence, then sexualised violence. The thing that needs to be cut out is a portrayal of violence without reason or consequence. When we get inured to violence, then all kinds become acceptable. Rape is about violence. As far as item numbers are concerned, getting rid of ‘sexy’ dancing is putting the onus on women again, i.e., if you show and or enjoy the movement of your body you are asking for rape. Have you seen traditional belly dancing? The ultimate item number and it is / was often part of spiritual rituals.

As a screenwriter, do you think Bollywood also portrays women in a bad light? Does the industry as a whole need to do some introspection?

Well yes, the moment women are incidental to a plot they are indicated as incidental to life in general, and then who bothers about how someone incidental is treated? The moment women are front and centre and forces to be reckoned with, everything will fall into place.

What do you hope to achieve through this reading? 

I hope to highlight this most common and most ignored form of rape and in the best case scenario raise some voices for an amendment to the rape laws to include marital rape. Marriage is a social contract based on trust, respect and partnership. When it becomes about coercion then it is a breach of contract and the law should acknowledge that.

The special show of The Vagina Monologues will be held at the Comedy Store, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, on Sunday, January 6 at 6 pm. Other speakers include Chitrangda Singh, Suchitra Pillai and Manasi Scott.

(Picture courtesy firstpost.in)

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Film

Bollywood returns

This year, a rash of sequels to popular Hindi franchises and remakes of classics are set to hit the screen. Rejoice! (or not)
by M | M@themetrognome.in

This is going to be another year full of Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment and Repeat. Buckle up, the Bollywood Express is set to take you on a joyride of sequels this year. Here is a list of sequels one should anticipate (or avoid):

Race 2: ‘Lat lag gayi’ director ko bakwas bananeki. The songs of Race 2 are enough to make me switch off the TV for good. One would require high levels of sedation to sit through this one, and in particular, watch Saif Ali Khan dance with a Katrina Kaif lookalike…oh wait, that’s Jacqueline Fernandez.

Murder 3: I am still confused between Murder and Raaz. I’ll tell you why, with a pop quiz: Which one starred Sunny Leone? See, even you had to think! Anyway, the new girl in the latest installment of this franchise is Sara Loren. Rumour has it that she is a Pakistani actress previously known as Mona Lizza.

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns: My first reaction: What for? My second reaction: Seriously, what for? This one doesn’t star Mahie Gill, from the looks of things. It’s still got Jimmy Shergill and Randeep Hooda, though.

Yamla Pagla Deewana 2: Okay, so the first one did well at the box office. Wonder what the father-son trio has got up their sleeves this time. Watch this one solely for Dharam paaji.

Once Upon a Time Again: One point deducted for the lame title, one point bonus for the fresh casting. This one’s got Akshay Kumar and Imran Khan.

Ragini MMS 2: All the Sunny Leone fans –yes, all 10 of you – rejoice!

Krrish 3: First there was Koi Mil Gaya, then came Krrish and now Krrish 3. Where is Krrish 2? Maybe he was abducted by aliens?

Dhoom 3: Back in Action: After watching Talaash, I would avoid betting on this one. Aamir Khan as the villian? Not a very believable idea. And Uday Chopra is in this one too, which somehow makes it worse. And don’t even get me started on Bachchan Jr. Why didn’t the world just end in 2012?

Singham 2: This one retains the hit pair of Ajay Devgn and director Rohit Shetty. Expect a masala comedy with Marathi catch-phrases.

Ghayal Returns: It could be difficult to top the original effort, but Sunny Deol will surely pack a powerhouse performance.

Dedh Ishqiya: Madhuri is back! A sequel to Ishqiya, the filmmakers are unable to find a replacement for Kangna Ranaut, who was part of the cast for this film but who later backed out because of “date issues.” I wonder which other actress would brave up to sharing screen space with Ms Dixit.

Raajneeti 2: There’s no dearth of material for this one. The cast is yet to be decided, but I have high expectations from Prakash Jha.

Aashiqui 2: Mohit Suri, of Kalyug fame, is one of the youngest directors on the block. His version of the cult film will be interesting to watch. This one stars Shakti Kapoor’s daughter Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapoor (of Guzaarish and Action Replay); both are surprisingly pleasant on screen.

Apart from sequels, there are remakes too. Classics like Chashme Buddoor, Himmatwala and Zanjeer will be recreated with the same or adapted storylines. Eid and Diwali releases this year are locked-in as well – with Salman’s Sher Khan and Shah Rukh’s Chennai Express respectively.

Here’s a little trivia on how production houses lock the dates. The head honchos along with the marketing teams sit down with Kalnirnay calendars and mark the auspicious dates. The festive days like Ramazan, Eid, Diwali and Christmas are locked almost two years in advance. The rest of the year is filtered for Ekadashis and Amavasyas. The team then slots the film slate in order of priority. Higher budgets, bigger stars get ultra-auspicious release dates.  The auspicious days are said to bring in more box office moolah, especially from up North. And thus, deciding a release date is no rocket science.

The year looks crowded for Bollywood, I hope it’s auspicious too. If not, we will always have 2014 and a sequel to Krrish 3 called Krrish 5. Maybe the Roshans are superstitious about even numbers. Hmmm.

Sharp as a tack and sitting on more hot scoops than she knows what to do with, M is a media professional with an eye on entertainment.

(Pictures courtesy santabanta.com and koimoi.com)

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Event

A workshop for Muslim women

The Jamat-e-Islami Hind’s Ladies Wing organised a pre-marriage workshop for Muslim women yesterday. A pitch report of the timely event.

“The rising number of rapes and divorces (talaqs), rampant cases of dowry, unhappy marriages…all are due to lack of respect for women in society, and the lack of aims and objectives of marriages,” said Salma Baig yesterday, in a workshop aimed at pre-marriage councelling. The workshop was held for girls and women yesterday at Scholar High School, Jogeshwari, by the Ladies Wing of Jamat-e-Islami Hind.

The uniquely-designed programme was attended by more than 900 young girls and women.

“The purpose of this programme was to educate girls and women about the importance of institution of family and marriages. The present world is realising the importance of human values, and specifically values towards women. The current turmoil on different rape cases is one of its examples,” said Salma.

While enlightening audience on the importance of love, Tanveer Khanam, a participant said, “Love is within everyone as it makes a person respect and take care of others.” Another woman, Jabeen Choudhary said, “Women are not just a item for play; the world shows her as an object, which is the reason why we see deteriorated condition of women everywhere.” She added, “The existence of a woman is not to be an object of display for lusty eyes, but in living life with pride and dignity, in the Islamic way.”

This one-day programme was much appreciated as many expressed the need for more such events to boost the morale and dignity of women in society. “It’s a enlightening programme; we got to know about the importance of women in society and how to live happier lives,” said Aiman, a student, who participated in this workshop.

The programme was coordinatetd by Salma Baig, In-charge, Ladies Wing of Jamat-e-Islami Hind.

 

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Fortis Hospital sets Guinness World Record

Hospital performs highest number of cervical cancer screenings; over 750 women screened in eight hours.

Fortis Foundation set a Guinness World Record recently, for the highest number of cervical cancer screenings. Fortis Hospital at Vashi, Mumbai, screened over 751 women in an eight hour marathon screening, as part of its ‘Teal To Heal Together’ campaign, beating the earlier record of 350 participants held by Kaiser Permanente, San Diego (USA) achieved on January 29, 2011. More than 50 gynaecologists and oncologists worked together to screen the participants in more than 20 OPD rooms.

Speaking of the record, Varun Khanna, Regional Director (East & West), Fortis Healthcare said, “Although cervical cancer ranks as the number one killer disease in India, it is breast cancer that has received utmost attention. Through the ‘Teal To Heal Together’ campaign, Fortis is aiming to revolutionise the manner in which cervical cancer is perceived and prevented nationwide. The golden rule of prevention being better than cure is the guiding principle that has driven this campaign.”   

Dr. Vandana Gawdi, Senior Consultant, Gynaecologist, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, said, “Cervical cancer is both preventable and curable if detected at the HPV virus stage, Oncogenic HPV infection in Indian women varies in different locations. Studies have brought out certain demographic and other lifestyle factors on the development of abnormal cytology in Indian women.  This justifies the need for screening women for cervical cancer including Oncogenic HPV testing (HPV infection among various Indian women).”

Cervical cancer in India accounts for one fifth of the cervical cancer prevalent globally. On an yearly basis, over 1,30,000 new cases are detected and it is estimated that the number of new cervical cancer cases in India will increase to nearly 2,26,000 by 2025. Due to the lack of awareness and social stigma, the mortality rate among patients suffering from cervical cancer has risen from 74,118 reported deaths in 2002 to 2,70,000 reported deaths at present. Over 10 per cent of all cancer deaths annually are attributed to cervical cancer.

These mortality numbers can be partly attributed to the lack of awareness of the prevention techniques and the need for early detection through periodic health check-ups. Although cervical cancer is known to have a higher mortality rate than breast cancer, it is not yet perceived to be a social killer. It is widely and wrongly believed that the disease is transmitted only through consummation. The social perception attached to the disease, therefore, is a common deterrent for many women to come forward for a preventive examination. However, awareness amongst healthcare providers and women for the need of pap screening and preventive services is a must and should go a long way in alleviating the problem.

Improving the nutrition of the girl child, avoiding early marriage, a monogamist lifestyle, engaging in personal hygiene (to prevent HPV infections) and routine checks can prevent the occurrence of the disease to a great extent. For a developing country like India, as per the WHO norm, all women should undergo at least one pap smear test before the age of 40 years and preferably at least once in three years from the time of consummation of marriage or first sexual intercourse. If all the women between 35 and 65 years of age are screened at least once in two or three years, the frequency of cervical cancer can be greatly reduced to 93 per cent.

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Play-acting with life

College drama fest draws theme ideas from real-life incidents, political ideologies, living by adjustment and even incest. A pitch report.
by Krishnaraj Rao

Rape and violence continue to dominate the mindscape of young Mumbaikars, it seems. At the ‘Let’s Act’ drama festival held yesterday at Ravindra Natya Mandir Mini Theatre, the students of RD National College elaborately re-enacted the recent Delhi bus-rape incident, in a play titled Is This Humanity? This was one of the five plays that was selected for re-enactment in the finals of the drama festival, to be held at Sophia Auditorium on January 5, 2013.

The other teams selected for the finals were Pragati College, which enacted a humourous play Adjustment (about how one needs to make an adjustment in all spheres of life), KC College (with a play on communalism based on the Panchatantra), Mumbai University’s Department of Journalism and Communication (with The Darkest Desire, a play about incest) and Swami Vivekanand College (Wakt Nahin Hai, a balletic satire about modern living.)

St. Andrew’s Chorus, which re-enacted the Mumbai 7/11 serial train blasts, and St. Xavier’s College, which enacted the Greek tragedy of Achilles, provided some extremely kinetic and memorable scenes.

The entire approach was minimalistic, with emphasis on creativity and powerful acting rather than lavish sets. The only stage sets available were two 1.5 feet levels, two nine inch levels, and some tables and chairs. All the work was done by the students themselves, without help from professionals.

This drama competition is organised by Helen O’Grady International, in benefit of ADAPT (formerly, the Spastic Society of India). Helen O’Grady’s Youth Theater workshops are enabling students to express themselves creatively.

 

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Film

Spare us the horror

The way Bollywood decides to make a horror film is a nightmare in itself, for both writers and the audience.
by M | M@themetrognome.in

Before I throw in my two cents’ worth on the subject, do watch this promo of a ‘horror’ movie scheduled to release this Friday.

 

 

 

Can’t stop laughing, right? Wonder what would happen if the makers of this film had decided to make a comedy.

Horror as a genre is very demanding to make. The director has to be very articulate with the finer nuances in creating ‘that scene’ which will get you to the edge of your seat. Some filmmakers in the Hindi film industry have given us masterpieces in horror, while others have just inflicted horror on us.

So how does one decide to experiment with this less sought-after genre?

Let me illustrate the general trend with just one recent example. This is a true story:

This tale begins with a good script and a young passionate director and his partner (a strictly professional relationship). The duo was overzealous in its idea to make a horror movie. Note that in this story, it is not the actual plotline of the film that is important, but rather, what happens to it in time.

So anyway, the duo left no stone unturned to lock in every single detail of the script before the narration.

Enter the producer. This guy claimed to be a Dark Knight fan, and never mind if he didn’t know who Christopher Nolan was. Hence, his feedback post the first narration went something like this, “Great, great. This is very good. I actually got goosebumps just listening to it. But what if we remove the ghost and make a thriller…the hero’s friend can be the murderer. Let’s see how that goes, change it a bit.”

An additional reason for removing the ghost from the horror film, in case the producer hadn’t made himself very clear already, was, “People don’t like horror movie these days, look what happened to Ram Gopal Verma’s Phoonk. It doesn’t work in India.” It is, of course, another matter that anything RGV touches these days turns into poop; the only time he got it right was with Bhoot.

The duo, their enthusiasm deflated, now worked on the script to make it a Whodunit. But if it was so easy to pull a taut thriller out of thin air, we would all be creating our own versions of Sherlock Holmes. Expectedly, Script Narration Round 2 didn’t  go well either, since the story lacked the twist-in-the-tale ending. They toyed around with the story for many days, but in vain.

The producer, by now impatient, decided to address the duo with another gem of an idea, which went something like this: “Maybe we should go back to the ghostwala plot, since you guys are unable to make this a non-ghost story. Also, a climax where you reveal the ghost will not require an explanation… look at Paranormal Activity.” This change of heart was not out of sympathy or love for the struggling writers…Vikram Bhatt had just announced Raaz 3, so now horror films suddenly had the potential to work at the box office.

The producer continued, “You guys should watch The Grudge, The Ring and other English horror movies for the climax. It’s unbelievable.”

The script was accordingly revised multiple times over the next two months and now it was nowhere close to the original draft. The damage was done, and the duo by now just wanted just to get done with this Godforsaken film. The producer, meanwhile, was still wondering about the ending of the film, and was torn between Basic Instinct and Shutter Island – never mind that both are thrillers and not horror films.

Finally, the last scene of the film was decided. Since making a choice was not easy, it shall accommodate both the Hollywood films.

So how does it end, you ask? You shall know next year. *winks *

Sharp as a tack and sitting on more hot scoops than she knows what to do with, M is a media professional with an eye on entertainment.

(Picture courtesy fanpop.com)

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