There has been an explosion of shows and films that portray gender-based violence as the central plot. And these narratives are most often set around the police and the court system. We sit with Rajvi Desai, culture editor at The Swaddle, to discuss Pink, Mardaani, Thappad and more – critiquing the lack of care and centering of survivors, the sensationalisation and saviour complex, and glorification of punitive measures and how unhelpful those may actually be to conversations on justice.

Special thanks to Jerin Jacob for lending their voice for the poem of the episode.

Trigger Warning: Mention of assault, rape, mental, emotional, physical and institutional violence.

Be sure to listen in to the next episode, out on 25th February 2021.

Share your thoughts on justice with us on Instagram @onefuturecollective or on Twitter @onefuture_india.

Additional reading on portrayal of gender-based violence in Bollywood:

https://feminisminindia.com/2015/11/26/media-representation-gbv-rape-subject-matter-hindi-cinema/

https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2020/mar/22/bollywood-gets-better-at-portraying-crimes-against-women-but-still-has-miles-to-go-2120174.html

https://theprint.in/features/art-life-and-bollywoods-role-in-violence-against-women/331977/

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/thappad-and-bulbbul-portrayal-of-domestic-violence-in-films-sees-a-major-shift