For the past few weeks there has been innumerable debates on various platforms about a particular documentary by Leslee Udwin. Before we jump into the whys and the why nots, lets talk about what the hype is all about.
A few weeks ago, an Israeli born British film-maker released a documentary produced by the BBC. The subject of the documentary, the December 16th gang-rape of Jyothi Pande, also known as Nirbhaya to the general public. Now this subjected has been debated and shouted across all platforms and the horror is still fresh in our minds, what with the rapists still happily breathing in jail while the poor parents who have lost their daughter battle it out in courts for justice. With all this happening, do we really need someone to come and interview those criminals and their like-minded lawyers and then air their psychopathic views to the world? She then goes ahead and says that the documentary is a mirror which reflects the mentality of the Indian men. Where does she get off saying that? What does it say about the mentality of the person who gave screen space to those animals who brutally murdered and violated a young girl? She lets him justify his action! Isn´t that worse?
Then comes the part with the public opinion which was divided into three major parts. One part justified and supported Leslee for her actions and parroting her words that the documentary is a mirror and protested against the ban. Next we have the section of the society which was vehemently opposed to the documentary, supported the ban and questioned the film-maker on her motives. Finally we have the majority of the people who lived in ignorance of the documentary and if they possessed any knowledge of it decided it was a non-issue. I for one, belong to the second type and I am opposed to the documentary. My question is, what is the necessity? Had the film-maker considered the emotions of the victims family and friends, of their pain and loss? The BBC goes about lecturing the Indian Government about the Freedom of expression, for the sake of ratings is it okay to forget about the right to privacy? When she is questioned, the film-maker turns tail and runs, why, if she is as innocent as she claims to be? It almost seems like it´s their only way to show our country in a very bad light. Previously it was another British filmmaker who showed us in a bad light with Slumdog millionaire, now it´s Leslee Udwin with ´India´s Daughter´! Looks like she´s hoping for an Oscar too with all the hype she has created.
Then there are those who sit and talk of rape statistics in other nations, compare it and call them ´rape capitals´. What is this, the rape olympics? It´s a heinous,brutal crime that we are discussing here, not a burger eating competition to dismiss it so lightly! Instead of comparing the statistics why don´t we try to eliminate this evil? My opinion, fire that idiot surveyor and employ more personnel for protection. If this documentary where that creature blames the victims and his lawyers support him is aired, our country will suffer more. These creatures who have no conscience will take it into their heads that any crime will go unpunished. My message to Leslee Udwin, people in glass houses should not throw stones! If you want to make a documentary about rape, do it in your country. And don´t you try to put our men in a corner, not every Indian male is a rapist or supporter of that evil. Do not malign an entire country because you met a few horrible excuses for human beings.
