Mumbai, India (CU)_ United Nations General Assembly marks November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The purpose of the day is to create awareness about the reality that women are subject to abuse on a global scale. However, things are changing now, as seen by films such as Pink, Thappad, and Guilty, which address issues of consent, domestic violence, society’s treatment of rape survivors, as well as sexual abuse against women and kids. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, here are some of the best Bollywood films that address women violence and how these women fight to rise from the ashes like a phoenix.
Mardaani
In the 2014 film Mardaani, Rani Mukerji stars with Jisshu Sengupta, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Saanand Verma in the leading roles. Shivani Shivaji Roy is a police officer whose investigation into the dissappearance of a little girl leads her to uncover information about the Indian mafia’s human trafficking operations.
Chhapaak
Chhapaak is a 2020 film inspired by the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey, and Madhurjeet Sarghi feature in the lead roles of the film. The storey follows the life of an acid attack victim and the pain she undergoes and how she overcomes the challenges.
Thappad
Thappad is more than a meandering diatribe against borderline domestic violence; it shows the years of indoctrination a woman endures both at the hands of her family and the culture in which she lives. The film stars Taapsee Pannu.
Provoked
This 2006 film portraying Aishwarya Rai Bachchan served as a sort of eye-opener, bringing to light the physical and mental pain endured by women in abusive marriages. The story is inspired in part on Kiranjit Ahluwalia’s life, who ended up murdering her abusive husband after 10 years of marriage. The film that also stars Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, and Robbie Coltrane garnered huge attention.
Daman
Raveena Tandon portrays a victim of marital rape in this 2001film. The actress, who is living in an abusive marital relationship, decides to depart with her child. When her hubby begins to follow her, she kills him for self-defense. For her portrayal in this Kalpana Lajmi-directed film, Raveena earned a National Award for Best Actress.
