The Hindu : New Delhi News : Exploring the identity of women

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Friday, Nov 30, 2007
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New Delhi

Exploring the identity of women

EYE-OPENER: A still from Oxfam (India) Trust’s docu-drama “Bewaqt Barish” which deals with the issues of HIV/AIDS and sexuality.

To mark World AIDS Day, Oxfam (India) Trust has launched a 65-minute docu-drama on romance, friendship and relationship that weaves youth, sexuality and HIV into its fabric.

Titled “Bewaqt Barish”, the Hindi film will be made available on www.bewaqt-barish.org on December 1 in a downloadable format. The movie will be available with English and French sub-titles.

Made by well-known directors Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar, the docu-drama has been financed by the European Union and produced by Muktangan Mitra.

A social researcher trained at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Sumitra says the film highlights the strong character of women: “It not only explores sexuality and sexual identity but also dwells on other empowering issues like girls’ education and resisting violence against women.”

“The film will resonate with the young because of the realistic and informative approach it takes towards issues that worry adolescents. This has been done through the stories of three families living in rural countryside,” says Sunil, a trained filmmaker from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

Based on Oxfam’s work with rural and tribal people in Rajasthan and Orissa, the film intends to demystify issues around HIV/AIDS, sex and sexuality. The film weaves the themes of young people’s joys and sorrows of initial exploration of sexuality and sexual identity, migration, exploitation and gender-based violence, education for girls and dignity of people living with HIV, in a fluid tale of romance, friendship and relationships. It tries to observe the power equations in relationships, especially the oppressive norms created to support the patriarchal family systems.

Laurent Danoise, Health and Gender Adviser to the Delegation of European Commission in India, says the programme on which “Bewaqt Barish” is based is ground-breaking. “The programme that reached out to more than 300,000 youth in the 13-to-25 age group took a holistic approach, even giving training on livelihood to the young.”

Madhur Tankha

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