PINK is the new HUMAN.
As a 13 year old girl living in India, even I’ve understood that on some fundamental level, some people find it difficult to comprehend that others around us are humans, just like us.
We either idealise them as gods or dismiss them as animals.
The way women in our Indian community are seen is complicated; they say “You should never hit a girl”, and it’s increasingly odd that this is such a common thing to say. Why? Because the only thing it does is prove the majority of the Indian population to be deaf.
Anthony Burgess once said, “It’s funny how the colours of the real world only seem really real when you watch them on a screen”. I only recently watched the movie ‘PINK’. Have you ever read those beautifully eloquent quotes from intelligent souls that redefine the meaning of your life entirely? This movie for me, was an infinity of these exquisite quotes. The strength in nearly every character and their unfaltering courage simply told the story of how inhumane we have come to be.
This film has received so much response for the theme it deals with, which is absolutely remarkable. With the help of a talented Bollywood legend and such brilliant actors, people have understood. People are listening. This legitimate and pressing issue being made into a film emphasises the absolute urgency to act upon it. What’s even better is that such a legend is working to promote this film, and indirectly gaining support against this tragedy of a problem.
While all the actors were outstanding in their flawless depiction of conflicting characters, the Indian lawyer, Deepak Seghal, a role played by a renown Indian jewel, Amitabh Bachchan, was someone who did not only influence minds but re-kindled the dying fire of empathy and integrity in countless hearts.
This character, with his unconditional respect for women, invincible power over words and absolutely beautiful courage has the elephantine caliber to change the fate of any female who was not heard when she said “No”. As he rightly said,“No means no and when someone says ‘No’, you stop”. Additionally, I love the presence of irony throughout the introduction and development of the ‘Women’s Safety Manual’.
This safety manual emphasised the boundary that women are not allowed to cross in our country to reach freedom, and the fact that their every physical aspect decides their entire personality somehow. And that is such shallow judgement. Have we been taught to think this way? Was our thinking always limited to such stereotypes, restraining us from digging deeper and gaining a broader insight?
People pass judgement rather than extending love. Why?
It is critically unethical to understand a woman’s smile or even excessive laughter as a hint of sexual interest. Who, on this planet, ever said that a female who consumes alcohol, defines her level of decency? Did this very person say the same for men? It is appalling, that being the oldest known civilisation in the world, we have come to define a women’s character by how much of her skin her clothes cover. And in 2016, a prosperous year where development is the foundation of every day, the most salient article of all remains immature and undeveloped — our minds.
Why are our minds so impulsive? Why are our mind sets so opinionated? Have we taught our children to think similarly? Have we built our own country’s hindrance?
I don’t, in the least, believe it is necessary to remind the world why the existence of women is absolutely essential for eternal prosperity. A woman, a female whether you knew her or not, dealt with her fluctuating emotions and fatigue for 9 months, finally to bear pain equivalent to breaking 20 bones at once, to give birth to you. These women all over the world are the mothers of this entire human population. So if they deserve anything, that is respect — not hatred, inequality and a reason to deal with the result of someone’s petty ego issues.
It has never been clear to me, as to why women were ever discriminated in the first place. If anything, they are strong, beautiful and intelligent.
Judging someone based on whatever facet does not define them, it defines you. Thank you Aniruddha Roy Chowdury, Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Taring and everyone who was a part of this film in every possible way, for reminding India that if ‘he’ is human, ‘she’ is too.
