Articles features
Daughters of Mother India' in syllabus of 200 Maharashtra schools
Mumbai, April 28
The acclaimed national
award-winning documentary 'Daughters of Mother India', based on the
aftermath of 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder, has entered the Class
VIII curriculum of around 200 schools in Maharashtra, filmmaker Vibha
Bakshi said here on Tuesday.
The film is a journey through the
aftermath of the December 16, 2012 gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old
physiotherapy intern in New Delhi. The incident led to mass protests
lasting weeks across India.
"The students of the 200 English
schools, mostly in Mumbai, shall watch the documentary as part of their
curriculum on social and gender issues... We are hoping that more
schools will follow suit," Bakshi told IANS.
"Besides, the film
has been shown individually at police stations in Hyderabad, Mumbai, New
Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai to sensitise the police force in handling
and dealing with crimes against women," she added.
Based on the
request from Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, the film has been
dubbed in Marathi to reach out to the police forces manning the remotest
corners of the state.
Recently, Mumbaikars pledged to work for
the cause of women's safety and dignity. Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis launched a Women's Safety Campaign in the state, where Bakshi,
44, was present.
"Our aim is to dub the film in all regional
languages and ensure that it's shown to the police force, school and
college students, the intelligentsia and the masses to raise
gender-consciousness and enable women reclaim their status in the
society," Bakshi explained.
"The documentary 'Daughters of Mother
India' will now be premiered at New York on May 5 as part of the
upcoming 'Indian Film Festival'. The premiere show is already sold out,"
she said.
"Taking a deep insight into Indian society and the
government, it examines the swift and radical changes that came up in
the police force, the judiciary and community groups who provoked a
national dialogue on the existing sexist attitudes of Indian society and
ways to change them," Bakshi said.
The documentary was adjudged
the best on social issues and bagged the National Award, which will be
presented to Bakshi next week in New Delhi.
A Mumbaikar, Bakshi is an alumna of Boston and New York universities and has a passion for making films that are life-changing.
Her
other film creations, both co-productions, include 'Terror At Home',
based on controlling violence against women, and 'Too Hot Not To
Handle', based on global warming.