Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 10, 2019)

In the last decade, the depiction of rape in cinema has gone through a sea change. From being used loosely in a film, as a tool of revenge or a trope to titillate, such scenes now occupy a more sensitive space in a film’s narrative and are central to the plot. For instance, director Ajay Bahl’s courtroom drama, Section 375, revolves around the hearings in a rape case involving a Bollywood director, who is accused by a female member from his crew of raping her at his residence. Akshaye Khanna plays advocate Tarun Saluja, who represents the accused, while Richa Chadha will be seen as prosecutor Hiral Gandhi, representing the victim. Besides Akshaye and Richa, the film also features Meera Chopra and Rahul Bhat.



‘DEPICTION OF RAPE IN FILMS IS NO LONGER FRIVOLOUS’
Talking about the depiction of rape in Hindi cinema, Ajay Bahl says, “Indian cinema has become far more sensitive when it comes to crimes, particularly in the depiction of rape and their placement in the narrative. It’s not frivolous anymore and it’s not just another plot point. I think the change in perspective happened towards the end of the 1990s. I can’t put a finger on what triggered it, but today, if there’s a rape scene in a film, it has to be important to the narrative. I would credit the change to the new generation of filmmakers, who think everything through before incorporating something in their stories. The audience, too, has evolved as they are widely exposed to all kinds of content. They are quick to perceive the intent if you’re doing something to titillate them. Cinema has changed from its formulaic ways to clearer and cleverer narratives. It’s sad, but at one point, rape was the ultimate revenge device in a story. But not anymore, thanks to education and awareness. Besides, the presence of women in powerful positions in the industry — as writers, technicians, editors and marketing heads — doesn’t leave room for anyone to act insensitively towards issues like rape. No woman in the system or in the audience will accept a frivolous rape scene in a film anymore.”

‘IN THE COURT OF LAW, IT’S ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN PROVE’
The film also explores the mindspace and the thought process of criminal lawyers. Elaborating on the latter, Ajay says, “This film presented an opportunity to explore the legal system and the world that these lawyers operate in. I got a chance to understand how a prosecutor thinks and how a defence counsel prepares arguments. Before this, my understanding of a criminal lawyer was similar to that of a layman. Even I wondered how could they sleep peacefully after defending someone, who seems to be a criminal. I’ve realised that they have a role to play in keeping the checks and balances, because everyone deserves a trial. Lawyers on both sides are clinical in their approach and they both argue to win. In the court of law, it’s about what you can prove.”



‘AKSHAYE KHANNA IS A MYSTERY TO ME’
Talking about Richa and Akshaye, who play strong characters in the film, Ajay says, “I don’t think anyone can do what they have. This film needed them.” He adds, “I knew just how much Richa was labouring to get into her character. She chose to hang out in courts and draw inspiration from Marcia Clark (lead prosecutor in the OJ Simpson murder case) to nail her role, but Akshaye is still a mystery to me. We met a few times and discussed the part and the film. And on the first day of the shoot, he was totally in character. I suspect that he kept meeting lawyers secretly. It is really strange, but even when he would take pauses between his lines, he would breathe like a lawyer in the thick of an argument. That’s why Section 375 could not be made with another set of actors.”

SCIPL presents Section 375, a Panorama Studios Production. The film is produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak and SCIPL, and co-produced by Sanjeev Joshi and Aditya Chowksey. The Anand Pandit Motion Pictures, PVR Pictures and Panorama Studios International release, hits the screens on September 13.