Devi: Kajol, Neha Dhupia, Shruti Haasan And 6 Fierce Actresses Come Together In A Short Film About Rape That Leaves Us In Tears

Written by Niharika Nayak, BA (Media & Communication)  • 

Devi is a short film that marks Priyanka Banerjee’s debut as a director and features an all-woman ensemble cast of actresses from various film industries. The short film narrates a tale of nine women who are forced to form an unlikely bond of sisterhood based on their unfortunate circumstances. The characters are played by Kajol, Neha Dhupia, Yashaswini Dayama, Mukta Barve, Shruti Haasan, Neena Kulkarni, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Sandhya Mhatre, and Rama Joshi. Read on to find out why exactly this short film is going viral and making people ask the right questions:

United By One Despicable Act

Image: YouTube @LargeShortFilms

When the film begins, we are introduced to a confined room filled with women from different backgrounds. We see Kajol as a god-fearing woman who plays the voice of reason, we see three older Marathi women playing cards, a sassy Muslim woman who is busy waxing her legs, a tensed and smartly dressed Neha Dhupia and Shruti Haasan’s party girl character. Yashaswini Dayama’s mute character is shown hitting the TV and trying to get a signal while the rest of the women are going about their own day. All of these women are completely different from one another but as the story goes on, we realize that they have one thing in common— they’re all victims of rape. The fact that these women were of different ages, backgrounds, and religions lets us know that rapists see women as nothing more than prey. None of these women have similar characters and due to this are often in conflict with each other.

Image: Shutterstock

As the storyline proceeds, the women in the room are faced with a problem— let more women into the room or leave them out. We see Shivani Raghvanshi’s character trying to be the voice of reason and offer to put a system into place. As each woman reveals how she was assaulted, we realize that every crime was more horrific than the last. When one of the older women starts fighting with Neha Dhupia’s character, Kajol steps forward and talks to the women about adjusting. She speaks about how women have had to adjust all their lives and that it’s better living in a crowded room than with the “demons” outside. The gut-wrenching short film comes to an ending that leaves us with a bitter taste in our mouths; as it should.

Rape: A National Problem

Image: Shutterstock

This isn’t the first film addressing rape that went viral. A few years ago, BBC released a documentary called India’s Daughter that contained interviews of the convicted rapists and gave viewers a slight insight into their minds. Many were left sickened by the heinous mentality of not just the rapists but the lawyers defending them as well. Devi ends with bitter statistics about rape in India and reveals that the conviction rate for rape is a mere 32% and that there are over 10,000 pending rape cases. One statistic reads “Each day close to 90 rapes are reported in India” and “It is ironic that crime rates against women are higher in a nation where nearly 80% of the population worships goddesses.”

Reactions On Social Media

Image: Shutterstock

Devi has caused quite a storm on social media. In the comments section of the video itself we see men saying they are ashamed to be men in a country where women are mistreated and violated so much. One user poignantly commented, “All the boys and men who have understood and appreciated the intent of this short film, you are our only hope for a better future. Please always remember your actions have dire consequences. May God bless you and guide you to do right by women always.” See some of the reactions on Twitter below:

Image: Twitter
Image: Twitter
Image: Twitter

Isn’t it ironic that we live in a country where women are worshipped and prayed to by the very same men who will go home and assault their wives? Devi is Priyanka Banerjee’s successful attempt at challenging our patriarchal society’s views on rape as a whole. To watch the film, click here.

Image: Shutterstock

Many people assume only “bad girls” who drink and party or go out late at night or wear short clothes are raped. Yet in this short film we are introduced to women who are 50+ and dressed in dowdy sarees and another woman who is in a burkha as victims. The short film tackles the issue of rape in a sensitive yet serious manner, without losing its purpose; rape can happen to a person regardless of where they come from. What are your thoughts on Devi? Were you moved by this short film? Let us know in the comments below.

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