Madras HC Calls Out Movies And TV Shows For Objectifying Women And Glorifying Men For Sexual Adventures
One of the major reasons why I don’t like Bollywood movies is because of the fact that I don’t like the way they represent women on screen. I mean, the actress is always a damsel in distress and objectified by the characters around. Don’t even get me started on the glorification of stalking, following, molesting, etc. that they show in the movies. And I believe that this kind of behaviour highly impacts the youth of today. In fact, I also think that the growing gendered stereotypes in the films have a major impact on the rape culture. And I’m not the only one who agrees with that. Madras High Court (HC) in a judgement said that men in Indian society are generally glorified for their sexual adventures whereas women are always objectified in soap operas and cinema.
Madras HC when trying a case where numerous incidents of multiple women were sexually abused and videographed at the same time by a moneylender, observed that treating women as objects in movies and soap operas has a detrimental effect on society. They even observed that we live in a society we tend to glorify the sexual adventures of men and even end up easily forgiving them for it.
The Court was shocked to see that 29 women were sexually abused by the moneylender out of which only 6 could come ahead and file a complaint and only 4 of them were examined as prosecution witnesses. Taking into all the evidence and arguments, the Madras HC convicted the accused for the offence of rape, punishable under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code. They also convicted the mobile phone technician that assessed the videos of these women being sexually abused and then sold them to the public.
As per reports, before the High Court’s judgement, the Sessions Judge had convicted the moneylender under Sections 376 (4 counts) IPC and 66(E) (4 counts), 67A(4 counts) of Information Technology Act (IT Act); and the mobile technician under Section 292 IPC and under Sections 66(B), 67(A) IT Act, and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998.
Also Read: Madras HC Says, “God Save The Police Department,” Expresses Concern About Sexual Harassment Of Women Officers
The Madras HC with the bench of Justices PN Prakash and R. Hemalatha while upholding the Sessions Court’s conviction observed that men are glorified for their sexual adventures while women are shamed for the same. The court observed, “Treating women as an object of desire and portraying them so in movies and even in soap operas have a detrimental effect on the society. Education in the school is deprived for many and the family circumstances also cause such imbalances. Morality is the buzzword for this society to prosper and make such shameful acts a thing of past.”
I’m so glad that the judicial system of India recognises this pattern. I mean, for years we’ve been seeing women getting treated like objects and seen a piece of meat in our movies and soap operas; it was only a matter of time that it started affecting the youth of today.
