iWorld
The Quint partners with MP Dr Shashi Tharoor to make stalking a non-bailable offence
MUMBAI: In August, The Quint started Talking Stalking, a campaign to give a voice to all those who face stalking every day and yet find that they can’t speak out.
The overwhelming response to the campaign compelled us to look for a way which would ensure that stalkers are held accountable by the law and that stalking complaints are taken seriously. As we studied the existing law, we realised that one important change could make a huge difference – stalking as a non-bailable offence
As a result, we have partnered with MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor and senior advocate Kamini Jaiswal to propose an amendment to Indian criminal law that will make stalking a non-bailable offence, in the form of a Private Member’s Bill.
On December 20, 2017, The Quint organised an event at Oxford Bookstore, New Delhi to raise support for the Bill. A packed house participated in a discussion with a distinguished panel, which was also broadcast via Facebook Live.
On Stalking and the Bill
Dr. Shashi Tharoor, talking about why this Bill was important, said: “Now is the time to talk about stalking. Stalkers in India have a sense of impunity as it is a bailable offence”. He noted that while he had submitted the Bill to amend the law, “Maneka Gandhi should take this issue up personally.” This would help ensure it gets passed in Parliament: “Those who aren’t allowing this Bill to prevail are doing an insult to the Varnikas and Laxmis of the country.”
Supreme Court advocate Karuna Nundy, who has argued several important Constitutional matters in the courts, including most recently a challenge against marital rape, said that “Stalking being a bailable offence is a massive lacuna in our legal system. It enables criminals to [commit] murder, rape & acid attack”. Pointing out that stalking was supposed to be made non-bailable when it was introduced in 2013, she criticized Parliament for changing this at the last minute: “Parliament caused a lot of women being attacked, raped and killed when it failed the stalking bill in 2013”. She concluded with a strong message: “Women are Indian citizens and have a right to NOT be stalked”.
“Why should their stalking make us lose our freedom?”, asked Varnika Kundu, whose fight against her stalkers in Chandigarh helped bring the problems with the law on stalking to light. She is also fronting a petition with The Quint on Change.org to support the Bill, which has over 1,30,000 signatures: “The big reason I am fronting this petition — everyone who has survived stalking is so done with living with fear. Strike the fear of them losing their freedom. What is flattering is not actually flattering but terrorising”.
Laxmi, acid attack survivor and activist also gave a fiery speech, and urged society to change its attitude towards stalking. “I did not live like a victim. I am a survivor. I am not a “poor thing”. I have all rights to live my life to the fullest. I have made a place for myself. Support yourself, and only then will others support you… Why should I be ashamed? The man who attacked me and those who supported him should be ashamed.”
Geetha Nambisan, director of Jagori, which works with women who have faced crimes like stalking, and has agreed to partner with The Quint on its #TalkingStalking campaign, added that “When people will understand that there is a concrete punishment for stalking, that there’ll be consequences, then the crimes will go down”.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
