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Anurag Kashyap Explains His Stand On Rape, Feminism, His Short Film and more | F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b

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AnuragKashyapExplainsHisStandOnRape,
Feminism,HisShortFilmandmore
Posted:July7,2014bymoifightclubinGuestPost,News
Tags:anuragkashyap,Feminism,Queen,Rape
62

i
19Votes
(https://moifightclub.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/anurag
300x300.jpg)DearAll,
When I am not making movies which is thankfully rarely my
favourite pastime is to get fundamentally quoted without the context.
Blame the lack of space in newspapers today with all those
advertisements accounting for most of it. It helps to keep our
conversation going, you see. And it has happened again. My whole
conversation has been reduced to one line thats being knocked
around,rapeisabadaccidentsaysanuragkashyap
Funthoughitis,IthinkitstimeIspeakformyselfandnotletsome
outofcontextquoteinapaper,oraneditedversionofahalfanhourconversationdothetalking.
SittinghereinKarlovyVaryIhavebeeninundatedwithtextsandmailsaboutaninterviewofmine,that
hasofcourse,asalways,beencompletelymisread.Itdoesnothelpthatalongconversationhasbeen
reducedtoaparagraph,butcredittothewriterthathedoesmentionthatthenowcontroversialparagraphis
thepointofviewofawomanandnotmyown.

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Anurag Kashyap Explains His Stand On Rape, Feminism, His Short Film and more | F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b

Thereactionsonvarioussocialplatformsdoprovethatinangertheopinionistsalsoturnblind,andthey
actuallyreadwhattheywantto,sothattheycanrageoverit,ratherthanseeingitandarguinghealthily
overit.
Idontmeantospoiltherageparty,butletmetrytobringsomecontexthere.
Recently,Iwasinconversationwithawoman,whoquotedanoldarticleshehadreadinTheTimesof
Indiaopedpage,yearsago.Thatarticleprofiledacourageousrapesurvivor,aEuropeanwomanlivingin
India,whoafterbeinggangraped,actuallyfoughtforafairtrialforherrapistsandalightersentence.She
stronglyprotestedanybayingforbloodorvengefulmindset.Shewasinfactridiculedandvilifiedfor
standingupforjusticeforherownrapists.Whenaskedwhyshediditshesaidthatshewouldtreatthe
traumaofherrapethesamewayshewouldtreatthetraumaofbeinginaterriblecarcrash.Shewouldtry
tohealfromit,shewouldwanttheirresponsibleperpetratorspunished,butshewouldnotallowthecrime
togaingreatersignificancethanshefeltitwasdue.Anygreaterassignmentofmeaningtoherownrape
wouldbetogiveintoamaleviewofthefemalegender.Shealsobelievedthatheridentityandherdignity
didnotresidebetweenherlegs,butbetweenherears.
Thewomanfriendofminewhotoldmeaboutthiscase,alsomentionedthatthisarticlemadeherrethink
theconceptsofhonour,izzat,dignityandpersonalidentity,foryearstocome.
WhatwasreadasmycommentorstatementintheHINDUwereactuallyquestionsraisedbythe
survivor,whichwerethensubsequentlynarratedtomebyanotherwomanandbymetoSudhishKamat
whowritesitlikeitisbutnotallofit,whichbynowisattributedtomeasmyquote.Thosequestions
stayedwithmeandbotheredme,andmademequestionthings,becauseIfeltthattherewasacertaintruth
tothem.
Iamnotsogoodatarticulationwithoutmycamera,butletmetryandelucidatethepointmyfemalefriend
wasmaking:Nowomaninvitesrape,rapeisnevereverthewomansfault,andnowomanwouldchoseit
ifthechoicewasaviableone.Butinasituationwherethechoiceisbetweenlifeandrape,awoman
mightjustchoosethelatter.Ifherchoiceislife,whyisthatverylifetakenawayfromher,oncesheis
raped?Whyisshecalledstufflikezindaalaashandwhydoestheentirefocusshifttohonourrather
thantohealing?Topunishmentratherthantorehabilitation?Whendoesthemalegazetakeover,such
thateventheextentofthevictimsphysicalandmentalbruisingisdecidedforherbyothers?
Whyisshenevergrantedthequietshesosorelyneeds?Sheisfrequentlydraggedoutbythesocialworker
tonarrateherstoryagainandagain,sherelivesthetraumaagainandagain,sheisusedtomakeapoint.
shouldthatnotbeachoice.thechoiceofthesurvivor.
Thewomanwhotoldmethisstoryalsosaidthatsheoftenputsaverydifficultbinarychoicetoherfemale
friends:Suchas:burntalive,orrape?Dismembered,orrape?Acidattack,orrape?Horriblethoughit
sounds,whengivenachoicelikethis,manywomenwentquiet.Thehorrorofrape,whenpittedagainst
otherghastlyhorrors,acquiredaperspective.Notthatofbeingfineoracceptablebutoften,ofthelesser
evilifotherbrutalitiesorviolencewasnotinvolved.
Doesthismeananyofusistrivializingrapehere?Farfromit.Itisaviolent,traumatic,battering,violating
experience.AllIwanttosayisthatletusnotaddmalenotionsofhonourandpuritytoit.Thatislike
addinginsulttotheinjury.

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Thepointisaboutnothavingachoice.Whenoneisraped,thereoftenisnochoice.Whenonehasthe
optionoffightorflightoneusesitbutoftenneitheroptionisavailable.Itisthesameinabadaccident.You
donothaveachoicebutyougothroughthebrutality.
However,whathappensafterwardistelling.Wheninabadaccident,thevictimgoestothedoctorora
hospital,triestorecuperate,allowsoneselftoheal,thevictimisrehabilitatedorallowedtorehabilitate.
Andtheonewhocausestheaccidentispunished.
Mydistresswithoursocialnetworkistsisthattheyassumetheyunderstandrapesimplybecausetheyare
women.Rapeisnotthateasilyunderstoodanditisnotagendersprerogativetodoso.
Inthisworldmenarerapedtooandmoresoinoursociety,inthispartoftheworld.Iamalsoavictimof
rapeandIhavehealedalotmorethanmostbecausetheworldwasnotfussingoverme.
Suddenly there is a new term being thrown around, VAW (violence against women) well, coming to
VAW, VAW is not the same as rape, VAW includes rape but rape has a much broader bracket that
includes the other gender too and also the one we most often dont consider a gender, the transgenders,
whoarethebiggestvictimsofthesaidcrime..HowIlookatViolence?Youcantwishitaway,lawswill
not and cant control it, it has existed since the mankind has existed, violence against animals, violence
againsthumanity,allkindsofviolenceexistsandwillcontinuetoaslongaspeoplearenotequal.aslong
astwopeoplewillhavedifferentstrengthsandability,therewillalwaysbeapowerstruggleandtherewill
beviolence.Theweakwillalwaysbeviolatedbythestronganditisnotgenderspecific.Youcanpoliceit.
regulateit..thereisviolenceinsportbutisregulated.theperpetratorisalwaysshownayellowcard,thena
redcardandthenisbarredfromthefieldandifhe/shecontinues,isbannedfromthegameforlife.Only
physical assault does not constitute violence, emotional blackmail is also violence, mind games are also
violations, misusing nirbhaya laws is also violence and rise in that VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN since
those laws have been constituted, was even commented on by the Supreme court just last week. Every
solutionwillcreateanewproblem.anywayiamdigressinghere..itsaneverendingdiscourse.
IfIhadtodiscussorargueaboutrape,Iwouldmuchratherdosowiththevictimsandsurvivorsthanwith
a feminist.Why? Because I get a strong feeling that the Indian feminist is very hard to talk to, because
he/she doesnt listen. He/She has a fully formed opinion etched in stone and will give no space to
accommodateanyotherpointofview.
Indianfeministsstartwiththeagendaalreadydefined,andhencethereisnoroomforanyotheropinionor
position.Feministsarealwayseagertoadoptanywomanwithastrongvoiceastheirown.Wesawour
filmQueenbeingimmediatelyadoptedbythemasafeministfilm.LetmesayherethatneitherisVikas
Bahlafeminist,noramI,andwebothloveandrespectwomenaswedomen:aspeople,ashumanbeings.
Isntthatthewayitshouldbe?
Queenwasnotintendedtobeafeministfilm,itwastheloveandrespectforthishumanbeingandher
storythatcamethrough,thefilmwasnotprowomanorantimen.Itwasastoryofagirlfindingherown
selfandhowshedoesitonherterms.
Iknowalotofwomenwhothefeministsprojectastheirownandthesewomenhateit,theyhateitbecause
theydontseethemselvesthatwaybutdontsayitoutloudbecausetheyaremortallyafraidofoffending
thefeminists.Thefearthatthefeministsinculcateeveninwomenisespeciallypeculiar.
Next.comingtomyshortfilm(http://youtu.be/AQR6cB1DXzY)welleverythingwedoisnotalwaysa
statement.Thepurposeofthefilmwasnottoofferasolutionbuttotellastory.ImadeadealwhereIwas
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obligatedtodoashortfilmfortheplatformitprovidedtofiveotheryoungfilmmakersaroundmewhoI
thinkdeservemoreandsothattheycanshowcasewhattheyarecapableof.Theymadetheirshortsand
thetimecametodomine,wewererunningoutoftime,Iwasalreadylatebyamonth.Weweretodoa
shortfilmandIhadtwodaysandthescriptwaschosenfromabunchofscriptsandpurposeofthefilm
wasnottoofferasolution.Purposeofthefilmwastotellastory,andthiswasthebestofthelot,ithadits
issuesbutwedidnothavetimetoironouttheissuesandinthatstorywetriedtoshootitinaway,that
onefeelstheharassment.Theendingwasmeanttobelighthearted.Wehadnoideathatitwouldgoviral
andthatsourshortcomingprobably,wehadnoideathatitwillbetakenasmyopinionandevenafterit
was,ithelpedtobringforthsomanypointsofviewandthatwouldnthavehappenedifthatshortdidnot
exist.
Irespondedtoandengagedwithsomesensiblepointsbuttheangry,shortsightedjudgementalonesthat
camefromtwitterangerwechosetoignore.Irefusetotaketheresponsibilityofmakingastatementon
behalfofahalfbakedismofthiscountrythroughmywork.Iamnotyourvoicesopleasestopexpecting
metobe,Iamonmyownjourneyandconstructivepointsofviewshelpmegrowandunderstandthings
more,IhavebeentaughtnottobeafraidtosoundlikeanauthoritybeforeIspeak,Ihavebeentaughtto
speakfreelybecauseuntilandunlessyoudontdothat,therewillnotbedebatesanddiscussionand
arguments.
IammyownvoiceandIspeakformyself,andmylifeisanongoingprocess,Ihavenotcometoany
conclusionsaboutanythinginlife,aboutyouormeorcinemaorrapeorwomenoranything.Ireact,I
think,Ioverreact,IthinktoomuchandIthinkaloud.IamwhatIdoandnotwhatIamexpectedtodo.
IdontthinkIamthatimportantinanyschemeofthingsandIwritethisletterforthesakeofthefew
peopleIactuallycareabout,whoaredistressed,andwhourgemetohavemysay.
AnuragKashyap
(psToavoidfurthermisunderstanding,letusclarifythathedidntsendusthatprofilepicofhistogo
withthispost,wejustgoogledandputone.Becausejusttextlooksbitdrab)
Comments
Rohwitsays:
July7,2014at21:14
Nottotaketheseriousnessawayfromthematter,butthiswhathappenswhenyouleavesocialmedia.
Comebacktotwitter!
Reply
AnuragKashyapsays:
July7,2014at21:30
withoutcontextandoutofcontextaretwoverydifferentthings..sinceiamnotontwitterandcant
answertoeveryone,especially@genderlog,stopmisusingmetofurtheryournonargumentandgo
backtoSchooltolearnhowtoread.
Reply
Rohwitsays:
July7,2014at21:31
Stopgivingbhaavthesemoronswhohavenoargumentapartfromtheirbadlydiverted
frustration..Youmustcomeback.
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