Jaya Bachchan serious on Nirbhaya Documentary in Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for 15 minutes on Wednesday after women MPs led by Samajwadi Party's Jaya Bachchan stormed the well of the house seeking action against the authorities of the Tihar Jail for allowing an interview of one of the convicts of the Nirbhaya gangrape case of 2012.

MPs like Tulsi and Tharoor supported airing of the documentary

While BJP MP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi assured the opposition that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had taken cognizance of the fact, senior lawyer and MP KTS Tulsi found no wrong in the interview and said there should be more such interviews to get into the minds of such criminals for making rules. Lok Sabha MP and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor also supported the idea of airing the documentary.

"We must face up to our own horrors & change," he said in a Facebook post.

The male MPs look more objective in this regard than their female counterparts.

But Jaya Bachchan's reactions to rape cases are selective

Take for example, the curious case of Jaya Bachchan, wife of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. When the supremo of the SP, Mulayam Singh Yadav, made a horrendous standard during the Lok Sabha election last year that rape is a mistake committed by boys, the actor was not seen reacting the same way as she did after the Nirbhaya gangrape. In fact, she was silent.

Why?

Does Jaya Bachchan make rape a political tool?

Because Nirbhaya was raped in Delhi where two Congress governments were in power (Centre and Delhi) in December 2012? And why is she raising a strong voice over the convict's interview now? Since a BJP government is in power at the Centre now?

Uttar Pradesh, which is governed by Jaya Bachchan's party, sees an endless number of rape and crime against women. The gangrape and murder of a 32-year-old woman on the outskirts of Lucknow in July last year was no less gruesome than the Nirbhaya incident. Did Jaya Bachchan shed tears on that issue as well, as she had done so expressively in the wake of the Delhi crime.

Icons crumble before politics: Unfortunate but true

It is unfortunate that icons in this country too determine their roles by the yardstick of politics. If as noted individuals, they can not display a consistency of stand on an issue, they have no business asserting themselves when they belong to a lot of a particular political colour and create a superficial sound in the Parliament.

If you can't question your political boss's supremacy Mrs Bachchan, then please think less about such sensitive issues.

India needs a solution for real issues, not drama from actors

Whether the jail authorities allowed the interviewer to reach the convict is not important here. The bigger question is: How long can India afford to get fooled by the crocodile tears when it has a herculean task of saving its women from deadly threats?

British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, whose latest film on December 16 gangrape has created furore in India for showing the interview of one of the convicts, on Tuesday said the film is her attempt to examine the attitude of men towards women. Leslee also claimed she took permission from the then Director general of Tijar jail Vimla Mehra before interviewing the convict Mukesh Singh. "I wrote a letter to DG of Tihar. The DG of Tihar had to consult with MHA. The letter basically stated that it was a campaigning film. I had applied permission in May 2013 and I got the answer 'yes' in two weeks. Official permission of MHA had also came. Permission from the prison was also signed," she said.

India's Daughter tells the story of the horrific Delhi gang rape in December, 2012, from the perspective of the convicts and victim's parents, she claimed. "We took a lot of time to make the film, almost two years. If we had something sensational, then we would have thrown it out immediately. There is nothing sensational about the film. It's a very serious campaigning film in the public interest. It's designed to see the change," Leslee told reporters here.

Before making the BBC documentary, Leslee said she met the parents of all the convicts including the juvenile's. "I actually met all the parents of the convict. Mukesh's (Singh) mother got him to speak. I interviewed his mother and told her we were doing this film and it was important for us to speak to him. She told him to speak to us," she said.

In the interview, Mukesh said the women who went out at night had only themselves to blame if they attracted the attention of gangs of male molesters. When asked why she gave a platform to the convict, Leslee, who interviewed Mukesh in 2013, said, "That's a great pity. Indian media should highlight what is going on in their mind. You have to keep repeating it until it stops and changes. Do you want things to change... Why do you resist? Why did I give a platform to girl's parents? The film looks at the issue of mindset and gender inequality. The film paints a picture of a set of attitudes towards women."

The BAFTA-winning director, who claimed she had panic attack while making the film, said the most touching moment for her was to sit and watch the film with victim's parents. "Sitting and watching the film through their eyes was a touching moment for me. They were moved by the film. They are extra-ordinary human beings."

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-nirbhaya-documentary-filmmaker-says-there-is-nothing-sensational-in-her-film-2066047