The Glorification of Non-Consent in Cinema

Trigger warning: In this episode, we will be discussing issues such as stalking, voyeurism, r*pe, sexual harassment, assault, self-harm, and Islamophobia. For anyone who may find these topics unsettling, we recommend prioritizing your mental health and not engaging with the following content.

Our latest topic-based episode is tackling collective ideas of consent in South Asia, as well as the glorification of non-consent in our media.

We knew that a feminist analysis of South Asian cinema would not be complete without an episode dedicated to the media’s role in perpetuating the r*pe culture in South Asia. We are all familiar with these narratives that often disregard women’s autonomy and their agency as fully-fleshed human beings.

Consent and the overarching media landscape around it were vital to this analysis. So this will be the first of a two-part conversation on r*pe and purity culture.

Beyond discussing the movies in our lineup, Sitara, LOEV, and Raanjhanaa, we decided to take on a more general discussion on film culture in South Asia. We particularly address the ubiquitous "item numbers," which have been a staple in problematic media portrayals of women and the disheartening normalization of voyeuristic shots in our films.

These movies served as a frame of reference to discuss the collective narratives about romance, sexuality, agency, and (non)consent that our media normalizes. This glorification of violations of consent make such behavior easier to get away with in reality.

We hope that collectively critiquing these portrayals in our media and around us can help to start discussions around consent and r*pe culture, as well as lead to more well-rounded and humanized portrayals of women and marginalized characters in our cinema.

To know more about our discussion, read the extended show notes on our website with additional resources and content!

More available on SareesOnScreen.com

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[Music Prod. By LuKremBo]

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