- 5.2Kshares
- Share
- Tweet
- Facebook Messenger
Bollywood validates stalking being the only gesture of romance. Being persistent about getting the girl would require you to stop her midway, touch her without consent or be as creepy as you would want.
Voicing such sensitive issues, Farhan Akhtar writes a heartwarming letter to his 16-year-old daughter. In an 8 letter series called ‘Let’s Talk About Rape’ by Hindustan Times, he pens his fears and inhibitions as a father. He speaks about rape, sexual assault, good touch and bad touch. Words are his, but his apprehensions are of every Indian father.
How do I even start writing to you about sexual violence and rape? My instinct, any father’s instinct, is to protect and nurture, but it is an issue that we must confront and discuss. Let me start, dear child, by quoting from a poem I wrote after the brutal murder of a sprightly lawyer in my team in 2013. You were too young then, only 12, and all I wanted was to see you smile and feel brave and invincible, like you did. The attempted rape and murder was too dark a subject for me to bring up then.
That takes away her right to love
Brutalises her with an iron glove
Rapes her without fear
of there being justice for her tear…
…what do I tell my daughter?
That she’s growing up to be lamb for the slaughter
we’ve got to make a change
Reboot, reformat, rearrange,
and never give in
no matter how much our head may spin
Just keep asking the question
What is this country that I live in?
I understand you little girl
Your rage, your surprise
Your confusion about the beast in human disguise
I stand with you, little girl, I stand with you
Dad
There is a lot to take away from this incredibly written piece. It is a mirror for Bollywood, for filmmakers who think it’s alright to show stalking as a romantic gesture because it is a girl’s worst nightmare.
A must read for every daughter.
News Source: Hindustan Times
- 5.2Kshares
- Share
- Tweet
- Facebook Messenger