No, It Is Not Pink

It Is Red And Painted the Nation So

≈The readers are advised to see this movie PINK before reading this article

Sometimes as flimsy a material as celluloid images touches the core of the reality. When this happens, as happened in the Movie Pink, the environs become sublime and the ethereal feeling raises you in the seat. Since it happens at the end of the movie when you are about to get-up, you may miss this feeling but the unmistaken euphoria cannot be avoided and you exhale a long satisfied breath of revelation. The movie, like a judgment has defined Women’s Sexuality nay Women’s Equality, explained the Law that ‘Lack of Consent’ or ‘No’ defines the Rape, that No said at any stage by the woman be even a wife would declare any further action by the men as aggressor and to be charged with Molestation, Outraging the Modesty of woman or Rape. This sanctifying aggressive male sexuality would not do; this bastion of male preserve to go ahead and have sexual truck with anyone, willing for it or not is wrong in every sense of word and is to be pushed away over the cliff. That in a very bold a manner the movie treats a subject almost taboo in conservative Indian society and portrays a group of young girls going out to have some good time, participate in a late night rock show, have few drinks in the hotel with a group of boys and might have even agreed for sex; However, when the line is crossed and the girl/victim says No and still the boy, thinking that she is ‘available type’ carries on, she breaks a bottle over his head, shows the modern day reality in a stark manner

This movie reminds me of an earlier but the same genre film Insaaf Ka Tarazu by B.R.Chopra. It is said that the film created such a pressure of public opinion that the law was changed and ‘Burden of Proof’ of Consent in Rape/ Sexual Intercourse was shifted on defense from prosecution. It was the cross-examination of the victim, so menacingly done by Dr. Shriram Lagoo in the film and where he propounded the theory that if women wear such revealing clothes what do they expect from men, thereby saying that a Man is essentially a bull which can go on rampage anywhere anytime. Does this mean that all this civilization and education and ‘Sanskars’ developed during the growing-up age by parent’s care and up-bringing have gone waste? He also challenged the charge of rape asking embarrassing questions about the incident during the cross-examination only to humiliate the victim till she breaks down. This necessitated the change in Law where burden of proof was shifted from victim of rape to the male aggressor to prove his innocence.

Regarding ‘Pink’ let us examine the social circumstances in which boys and girls grow-up, get education and live after the school and college. They both get almost the same treatment, same education and similar liberty in living life. If therefore it is hip amongst boys to talk about opposite sex, tinker with booze at early stages of life and be a Man in flaunting their muscles and appear shirtless at the drop of hat(as a very popular actor of Bollywood does so often), does it give any other message to the girls to live any other way. If girls grow through the same text of life as the boys go, would their hopes and aspirations be any different from that of the boys? Or if having good times for boys means wearing brand jeans and T-shirt, listening to a music concert or a movie, having Beer and/or Tequila shot and having a girl friend by their side, would it mean any different for the girls of the same age and understanding and intellect? I can go more brutal. If licentiousness is permeating in the society where sex is the buzz word, how does it impress girls that sex for girls may have consequences for them and they should tread with caution. They have read, theoretically at least that men and women are equal and enjoy equal rights. See what has been observed by a Supreme Court Judge,

“Referring to the pitiable condition of women in society Mr. Justice S. Ahmad observed that “unfortunately, a woman in our country, belongs to a class or group of society who are in a disadvantaged position on account of several social barriers and impediments and have therefore, been victims of tyranny at the hands of men with whom they, unfortunately, under the Constitution “enjoy, equal status”. “Women also have the right to life and liberty; they also have the right to be respected and treated as equal citizens. Their honour and dignity cannot be touched or violated. They also have the right to lead an honorable and peaceful life”.[7]

On a different plane and come to think of it in rather an egalitarian way, what is wrong with girls expecting same liberty that boys enjoy? The consequences part of it has been taken care -off by present day medicines and any social stigma in current times has just evaporated with Supreme Court reaching out to protect the rights of women even for single mothers or live-in couples. Armed with modern education and equal degree of exposure, current day or a modern girl is able to protect (so far the proceedings are civil) her-self in a competent manner. And girls are that much educated where they do understand as to what is good and likeable and amenable and suitable to them and can express their view clearly. This far the social aspect of the film was discussed which has been so effectively dealt in the conclusions drawn during the cross-examination by the victim’s Lawyer Sri Amitabh Bacchan, like the women should not stay late out of house, that they should not booze etc. etc. Even during the currency of Court proceedings it was exhilarating to see that the meaning of these conclusions were not lost on the Judge(Actor’s actor Dhritman Chatterjee). Clearly girls in this age would live and conduct themselves with values or social mores of this age only.

Now let us examine as to what is the role of male and female in the world and what is the crux of the message of the movie ‘Pink’. Somewhere I have written that parents should explain sex to children in terms of procreation which means, ‘..two sexes coming together means active Male and stationary female and urge to implant male seed with female seed.’ (Pep Talk-06.05.2014) The obvious meaning of this is that male approaches the female and if she is in a condition (here the term, ‘condition’ is used deliberately and is an all purpose vehicle), then and only then pairing is done. Whereas nature has given action to male, it has provided the protection to female that she must be in condition for the act. In animal world, female must be in condition to make possible the union of male and female. With advanced human beings, with powerful language and expression, where ‘Sex on the Tap’ is the norm (a term used by Desmond Morris in his seminal work ‘The Naked Ape’), we forget that in human being also this ‘condition’ is expression of consent by the female. In animal world, without words, this ‘condition’ is conveyed to the male in no mistaken a manner by smell, body language and expression of willingness. We must note that with such robust physique and free movement, there is, still no rape in the wild life or animal world. Why? It is because the Nature has, though provided that initiative may be, with male but expression of willingness is with female only. Hence the Law that, as in the nature so in human beings, at any stage sex act is a crime against humanity if female is not willing. This has been brought out so beautifully in the movie ‘Pink’ in such clear terms that it is exhilarating to see when the defense lawyer says that sex is a crime even with the wife, if she is not willing. We have read this theory of law and got dumbfounded (with our superior ego that how can a wife say no to husband?) but once put in perspective as in this movie, the woman’s right to say yes is inviolable and would be, and shall be protected if we have to call ourselves civilized. Like divorce, sex act is by mutual consent and man may pine, aspire or seek a woman but her consent to be with him will be and shall be the determining factor. Any act by force against the willingness of woman is a crime and shall remain so.

It is a moot point though that, after marriage, women suborn the will of men and get done what they want, which is a different kind of rape but goes un-defined, which in any case, is matter of future discussion.

So be it,

E-231 Windsor Park As Lord Shiva

Indirapuram (God of Sex) Pankaj Gupta

Ghaziabad Desires 07.12.2016