Yesterday having not much to do I watched a limited episodes series on Hoichoi which is a streaming platform for Bengali series and movies.
Aadalat O Ekti Meye (The Court And A Girl) is the story of an ambitious girl who is raped by one of her bosses in an office party. Her drink being spiked she is in a dazed state and cannot exactly remember the face of the rapist. However, she has her doubts pinned on the one who is openly flirtatious and in the habit of making very obvious passes at her.
In spite of the non-cooperation of the police, she decides to go to Court taking help of her senior in school (Public Prosecutor) who is also the wife of the boss she is comfortable with.
The storyline is very predictable and it is easy to guess who the actual culprit is. However, the series underlines certain trends in today’s society which require weighing without being judgmental.
First and foremost, if the atmosphere in the workplace is not conducive to a woman’s dignity should a presumably well qualified female professional continue tolerating questionable behaviour of her superiors? Is perpetuating a comfort zone more important than personal dignity?
Should an ambitious and aggressive go-getter, given to dressing up in Western wears and social drinking be stereotyped as ‘available’?
Rape, in contemporary social set up, is considered more a power play than a sexual vendetta. Does violation of a woman, unpopular with her colleagues, peers and subordinates, for zero tolerance for mistakes , domineering nature and in the habit of making personal attacks, which again tantamount to abuse of position and power that comes with it, seem justified and comes as some sort of poetic justice ?
Should a woman’s flexi schedule (working extended hours in office as per demands of the job) resulting in coming home late be construed as deliberately inviting trouble for herself and family ?
In one scene the victim tells her father it’s now common and understandable for jobbers to unwind in pubs to de-stress after a day’s nerve racking tensions and pressures of work. The father asks then when do they think? Are today’s over achievers in the rat race of cutthroat competition intentionally relinquishing the space and time for self-introspection and taking to easy escapes?
The placement of characters in the series is too convenient easing the direction of the narrative. The social victimization of a rape victim which has been very explicitly shown in the Pakistani Serial Case No. 9, revolving around similar premise, is missing in this series. Does that mean our society is so liberal that it readily accepts a rape victim in the mainstream without being unequivocally critical?
The role of police is sketchy and does not capture their hand-in-glove connivance with the vested interests in such cases. But a female SI out of the way takes kindly to the victim handing over undocumented evidence which surprisingly remains undestroyed. Should it be taken as a ray of hope in a society where a woman is considered the greatest threat to another woman?
Accused is another movie streaming on Netflix where a gay female surgeon of repute falls prey to a conspiracy wherein she is projected as a repeated sex offender abusing her position and power to sexually harass her juniors.
It will be wrong to say a woman in a position of power is not conscious of her status. It will also be too generic a statement to make that all women achievers are power abusers. However, apparently it’s the latest trend to show that even powerful, reputed and overachieving women can also fall prey to honey traps or brutally violated because their lifestyle and work culture permit so.
Is it again an attempt to build up an alternate narrative that :
Even a socially and professionally secured woman is still “weak” enough to be violable?
Even education and financial independence are not adequate “armour” for a woman to hold her head high and be safe in society ?
That the lakshmanrekha (boundary) around a woman is anyway porous in whichever circumstances she is ?
That female empowerment in every possible sense of the term is more a myth than a socio-cultural reality ?
Your views please.
Pics Courtesy IMDB
I hope I get to whatch this. And, this is a very important subject to bring up. Thanks.
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Thank you very much Helena after a long time.
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An ubiquitous issue these days
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Seems like. Thank you so much Derrrick 🙏
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You have reviewed it so well and have passed on correct comments on women’s conditions in society. It’s the situation everywhere in the world. Mel or some other writer here had written a post in which she had received some picture and how to protect her nieces. I had replied and suggested that with all their worst habits and inefficiencies women have no other option than to have some man to tout in society in any role whatsoever. Even Draupadi and all mythical women and today’s women, all of them have no other option. The worst part of this is that if by God’s grace a woman has some good husband, son, father, brother, friend then it’s ok but if that man is cunning he settles scores against another vulnerable man through that woman. Law and society sides that woman, invariably that cunning man and some naive man is victimised. Rape is the most heinous and worst crime and I as a man am ashamed to be a man while such crimes happen around me. Hoichoi is the best OTT that portrays strong women.
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I don’t think this series is available here and since I seldom watch tv, I would not see it even if it’s available.
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I have also reduced OTT watches but I believe it’s important to see a few meaningful ones because cinema like books are reflections of society.
I browsed through many before settling on this.
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I understand. I used to watch tv and movies too but now I find no time.
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I understand dear Sadje
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Thanks dear friend.
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Thank you Rajendraji for your detailed views on the issue. I do not disagree that women need men in their lives. In what roles that may be debatable. As you have pointed out sensibility is required to deal with sensitive situations. Is it a matter of luck? That remains to be decided.
Thank you once again for your comprehensive comment.
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Geeta Ji
Only very strict laws can stop such heinous crime.
If empowerment , education and financial independence would have been a solution,we wouldn’t have witnessed the RJ Kar Medical College case.
The struggles of victims in reporting such cases and societal pressure plays a significant role in increase of rapes.
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Nusrat, you are absolutely correct. Rape and aftermath of rap have many dimensions – social, cultural, political.
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Society seems to take a step forward and then retreat. This sounds like the piece has a powerful message, Geeta.
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Hello.
watched Accused.
very upsetting to see, even if in a film, how amy person strives to achieve a promotion leading to a prestigious position in employment, only to have fellow colleagues try to knock them down. And why ? Pure jealousy, especially why should the position be given to a young woman rather than a mature man who believes it should be his.
there will always be competition in any workplace but it usually healthy competition, and hopefully not in the form shown in Accused.
it is a goodwatch and highlights if nothing else, but how we as humans can also be easily swayed in our thinking towards each other, how we react, how we stand by and support our friends, family and colleagues, but as the say, the truth always comes to the surface.
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that show sounds so intense, but also so good! Nobodys boundaries should be violated, but sadly, we live in a world where all too often women experience it. X
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Yes that’s true Carol Anne, It’s an unfortunate reality.
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