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In the 80s and 90s we never saw consent in Bollywood films, says filmmaker Zoya Akhtar

In the 80s and 90s we never saw consent in Bollywood films, says filmmaker Zoya Akhtar

According to her, there were molestation scenes but no tenderness and that affected the nation's psyche.
31 May, 2022

Indian filmmaker Zoya Akhtar is currently working on Bollywood's adaptation of the The Archies and while her recent project is a live-action musical that revolves around progressive characters, she believes Bollywood hasn't always been open to diversity and representation.

In a recent interview with The Hindu, Akhtar not only talked about her upcoming project but representation as a whole. She said, "Representation is when your identity or personality is validated in any kind of popular culture. It is not just women; other communities, disabilities and even men are also represented badly many times."

She added, "In the 80s and 90s, you never saw tenderness, you never saw consent. But we had molestation scenes. That affects the psyche of a nation. You saw women that had no right to express how they felt, and that definitely makes a difference. So how you’re representing is key, as people need to know they’re not alone."

"I’m born and brought up in India, but I have come from one corner of this society. If I don’t see someone like myself out there, then there’s no paradigm for me and I’m going to feel isolated. I’ll feel alone, like I don’t belong or fit. I will look at myself as an anomaly — but I’m not — there are many women like me."

Akhtar says she's very excited for The Archies*. She told the publication that she is "excited to have the chance to bring the comics to life" as they were a large part of her childhood and teenage years. "The characters are iconic and globally loved, which is also why I am a little nervous. I have to make sure the film stokes the nostalgia of a generation that grew up on the comic, and yet resonates with young adults today."

OTT giant Netflix has partnered with the Gully Boy filmmaker for a desi version of Archie Comics starring Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan, late actor Sridevi's daughter Khushi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda. The other four actors are Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina. The musical is slated to release next year.

Comments

M. Saeed May 31, 2022 04:15pm
Indian cinema is now, a complete family business of the fraternity.
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Constantine May 31, 2022 04:23pm
She is right. Bollywood is responsible for perpetuating terrible stereotypes.
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Constantine May 31, 2022 04:24pm
That’s why you have Kannada, Telugu and Tamil films emerging and taking over the world.
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Constantine May 31, 2022 04:25pm
Oh really. So let’s see how this Indian Archies will be any different from mainstream Bollywood. It looks the same from the trailers by the way.
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Constantine May 31, 2022 04:25pm
What is Amir khan’s daughter doing over there in this movie? You didn’t find anyone else? Look how they try to sit on a high moral ground
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Hasnain May 31, 2022 04:34pm
She is wrong. It has always been the guy convincing the girl that he is worthy of the hand in marriage. It always about the consent of the pair. And all those great Rafi’s and Kishore’s hit songs didn’t they show tenderness. Pathetic click bait tactics. People can say anything just to be in the limelight.
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Aiza R May 31, 2022 04:36pm
But you’re doing the same still today with item numbers.
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IRFAN May 31, 2022 04:45pm
Who is she?
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Syed Hasni May 31, 2022 05:04pm
so was the metoo movement
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Agha Hasaan May 31, 2022 05:29pm
She is so right
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FAZ May 31, 2022 05:41pm
Absolutely! Generations of men have grown up, programmed to harass women on streets thinking they are looking cool.
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zarmeena azeem May 31, 2022 06:39pm
If 80's and the 90"s no consent in movies affected the Indian Psyche then what effect will the movies of this milieu have on the psyche of the population? More anti muslim and anti Pakistan hatred. More intolerance of the muslim minorities living in India??
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Shaleen May 31, 2022 07:17pm
Pathetic Bollywood families imposing their third class progeny on the audience with help of money power (read distribution rights) and family connections with producers.
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Shaleen May 31, 2022 07:19pm
@Hasnain You mean convincing through stalking, eve teasing and molesting.
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Imran khan (Mardan) KPK May 31, 2022 07:59pm
Who’s she
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Chaitannya Mahatme May 31, 2022 08:37pm
This is what happens when you feel that Bollywood is Indian cinema, Indian cinema is much beyond Bollywood & the female characters had all the qualities she mentions were missing.
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Positive May 31, 2022 08:48pm
She is completely wrong..the positive character such as a hero is always shown as courting the girl throughout the movie and songs etc while the villain is shown as forcing without consent which is a negative character… Given the complexity of India as a nation, the historical baggage of multiple cultures over centuries, the consent issues are still a relatively smaller percentage..
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Marcus May 31, 2022 09:04pm
Another product of nepotism. Archies movie will be a case study in movie flops!!
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SecondPilot May 31, 2022 09:05pm
@IRFAN Ask your "movie stars"
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Dr Dummy Jun 01, 2022 03:02am
Who cares?!
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TK Jun 01, 2022 03:56am
Even I grew up reading Archie but I am not so naive to think that an Indian adaptation of it is going to take me back to those days, let alone believe the number of people like me are large enough to deserve a production. This is going to be a super flop. But deservedly so, if the cast is so full of Bollywood princelings and grandprincelings.
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Reality Jun 01, 2022 05:37am
@Constantine huh where is Ira in this movie?? She is not that youngster
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Reality Jun 01, 2022 05:38am
@Constantine sorry but they lack storyline n acting...everything else is fine
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Imran Jun 01, 2022 06:07am
Sridevi was a legend. I hope her daughter has some of her charisma
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Javed Jun 01, 2022 08:38am
Bollywood will soon be gone due to incredible South Indian film industry rise. Just look at two South Indian movies Historical baahubali and modern pushpa.
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