Delhi rape case: Some Bollywood films do not portray women rightly, says Aamir Khan

Two years after the heinous act that shook a nation and brought thousands of supporters to the streets in protest, a Delhi rape case continues to resonate in headlines even today, with changing faces of a culprit and his victim.

Ten days earlier, Delhi was shaken up once again when a 26-year-old woman was raped by the driver of the Uber taxi cab she had hired in the Indian capital.

The latest incident fuelled further outrage, prompting film actress Shenaz Treasurywala to pen an open letter to Bollywood's three Khans, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step up as India’s most influential men and help keep women safe.

"I am doing something"

Aamir Khan finally responds to the young actress, who starred his production 'Delhi Belly' in 2011, saying, "It's the thinking that needs to be attacked within our society. So when Shenaz writes a letter to me and says please do something, I have done already. She has probably not seen my show, 'Satyamev Jayate'."

The actor, who was in Dubai, along with Anushkha Sharma, Raju Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra to promote his film 'PK', continued, "We worked very hard on the entire year I spent with 'Satyamev Jayate'.

"If she has not seen my show, I really should send her a copy. She's asking me to do something, I already have. And I continue to do so.

"I can understand and share that pain. If the film industry does influence thinking, we should use it well and bring about positive change, which I am attempting."

Blame game

Khan, along with co-star Sharma, have faced flak for 'PK's posters; while one shows the former wearing nothing but a transistor to cover his modesty, the latter is seen flashing her pins in shorts that has sparked a debate of its own.

Sharma speaks up in her defence, saying, "I do have an aversion to the certain way women are portrayed in our films. But me wearing shorts here is not one of them. What you see on the poster is what you would see any regular girl wearing in Bombay.

"Anything done to create any form of titillation is obviously not correct. As Aamir said earlier, someone can be wearing a full suit and still be extremely vulgar. Who can say I will be completely covered and still not entice someone."

Producer Chopra adds, "When you see Aamir without clothes and wearing a transistor, the scene is that innocent like that of a child. It is not vulgar.

"You may associate nudity with vulgarity but here it is his character that is not aware of not wearing anything. You have to see the film to understand what we are talking about."

Bring law and order to check

On December 16, 2012, the brutal gang rape of a paramedical student by six men on a moving bus in India's capital and the corresponding rape by the Uber driver earlier this month is the result of the law and order and the judicial system failing, says Bollywood's Khan.

He adds, "I don’t think we can segregate any one section and say that films are responsible for crimes against women. The society as a whole is responsible for the way people think today.

"If there is any one section of society that holds responsibility for solving this issue, it is the law and order machinery, the healthcare system and the judiciary. Because this is their fundamental responsibility."

The actor continues, "When I am making a film, my fundamental responsibility is to entertain. You are not coming in for a lesson in sociology. For that you will go to college.

"The reason according to me, and we had done a lot of research during 'Satyamev Jayate' as one of the topics we had discussed, is that when convictions in crimes against women become certain and swift, only then things will change."

The actor states that today the dice is loaded against the victim and in the favour of the perpetrator in India, adding that in a high number of cases, the crime won’t be reported.

"And even if it is reported, the investigation is shoddy; and if it does go into a courtroom, it will take 20 years for a verdict,” he replies. "Conviction rates are so pathetically low that if there is any section you need to lay responsibility on, it is the law and order and the judiciary systems."

Bollywood not accountable?

Quiz Bollywood's influence on the Indian society at large and the actor defends his stance, saying, "We in the film industry, irrespective of what the law and order and the judiciary is doing, should look at ourselves.

"And certainly, when I look at some of our films, they are not really portraying women in the right light."

He continues, "As it is, we have a very patriarchal approach in our society. We don't let the girl child survive. We kill her before she is born.

"Then we don’t give the same food to girls that we give our sons, we don’t give the same medical attention. And then after that we make all her decisions.

"You are tying up the hands of these girls. This thinking has to be blamed. It is in every walk of life, not just films.

"We are part of the same society. This is why we end up saying, we make such a song and there’s nothing wrong with it, this happens everywhere. Change that thinking first."

All pics by Bindu Rai

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