Chhapaak, a film on acid attacks on women in India



I saw Chhapaak yesterday. The experience was like how I felt when I watched Gajjni many years ago. Disturbed to the core by the intensity of violence against women in India, I envy others who could come out of the cinema hall and say "Achi movie thi"(English- It was a great movie) because I came out totally distraught and worked up.This is certainly not about one human being unleashing his jealousy, hatred and vengeance on another human being, its about a man unable to digest the fact that a girl/woman may choose education and opportunities over him to advance her status. Its about the new Indian woman who has aspirations outside of just getting married and the inability of the man to accept that and her new found confidence and freedom (read empowerment). I did not know that from 123 acid attacks reported in 2016 the number increased to 224 in 2017, the most recent acid attack happened in December 2019 when the rest of us were merry- making. Ban on sales of acid, a separate legal section for acid attacks proportionate to the nature of the crime and behaviour change (among boys and men) were the solutions the film offered. Malti (played by Deepika Padukone) got justice after several years but she had a rich woman to pay for 7 surgeries done on her to reconstruct her face(surgery cannot make the face like it was earlier but can save the eyes, nose and ears this is what I could make out from watching the film), a roof over her head( she lives with her father, mother and younger brother) and a family by her side, a job in an NGO which worked for acid attack survivors so she received understanding, support, livelihood and healing, support from the same rich woman to fight a legal case for many years at sessions court, high court and supreme court and media spotlight.



What must be the outcome for women who do not have the financial and moral support to fight a battle?




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXVf-KLyybk

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