Padma Vibhushan Mahasweta Devi, Indian social activist and writer releasing “Behind Closed Doors” in presence of Ms Rinki Bhattacharya, author at an event held in Oxford Book Stores, Kolkata. Prof Susie Tharu, Professor Emeritus, Cultural Studies Department, English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad releasing “Behind Closed Doors” in presence of Ms Rinki Bhattacharya, author at an event held in Hyderabad In the NEWS 2 September 2004 Opening doors The malaise of domestic violence cuts across class barriers. Rinki Bhattacharya has demolished more than just the myth of domestic bliss with her book, “Behind Closed Doors”. USHA RAMAN speaks to the author lifting the veil of darkness. AFTER MORE than 20 years of listening to and academic approaches. “While there is Dispelling myths women share their experiences of domestic no longer that silence or disbelief that once The book, she hopes, will dispel some of violence, after collecting many “powerful, surrounded the issue, there is still very little the “myths” about domestic violence and moving stories” from victims who needed support for women who face violence within empower more women to break the silence. to share and find belief, and after making the home,” she says. “There is still so much “Many women think violence is something her own way out of an abusive relationship, sanctity attached to marriage.” that happens only among the working Rinki Bhattacharya decided class,” she says. “So there’s a that a book needed to be lot of denial that women in upper written to break the myths classes go through before they about the “silent crime” of see that they too are victims.” domestic violence. When talking to poorer women, Rinki Roy Bhattacharya, Rinki found that even they thought ex-wife of the late Basu that women in well-to-do families Bhattacharya and daughter would never have to deal with of noted filmmaker Bimal domestic violence. But with Roy, knows how to wield the education and wealth also comes power of the written word. isolation, and women rarely Through a regular column connect what is happening to in Mumbai’s Mid-Day them with the notion of crime. In newspaper, she repeatedly addition, “educated” women also dealt with the issue of feel a greater sense of shame that violence against women. keeps them from “coming out”. Documenting domestic Moreover, there is little social violence support for victims of domestic “But the media has its violence. In Rinki’s film, “Char limits. There’s only so Diwari”, one woman recounts much you can do through how no one in her Mumbai a column in a newspaper,” chawl responded to her screams she says. “So I started because they all thought it was a collecting the stories, `gharelu mamla’. documenting everything Long way to go I heard and saw about “We’ve definitely made progress domestic violence.” It was in over the 20-odd years that I have the mid-1980s that the idea been working in the area, but we of putting these stories into are still not geared up to provide a book came to her. She a good safety net for the majority sent in her manuscript to a Author Rinki Bhattacharya... some light on shrouded deeds. of abused women,” notes Rinki. well-known publisher, who Photo: K. Ramesh Babu. Groups such as Nirmala Niketan initially reacted favourably. and Nari Kendra in Mumbai, Many months later, they changed their Statistics bear that out. A cross-cultural Sakshi in Delhi, Vimochana in Bangalore minds and returned her document, “totally study conducted in 2002 by a U.S.-based and Asmita in Hyderabad have made a mutilated”. “But I’m a documentarist at research group in collaboration with Indian difference to some women. Police are more heart, so I kept at it, writing and recording,” researchers found that two out of every five sensitive, the special Crimes Against Women she says. women in India remain silent about abuse (CAW) cells have helped to some extent. And almost two decades later, Sage because of shame and family honour. India But not enough. “Where is the visibility for Publications decided to publish these oral had one of the highest rates of domestic such issues in the public environment?” histories in an edited volume titled “Behind violence in the world, with and estimated asks Rinki. Rinki feels that we need to Closed Doors” dealing with domestic 45 per cent of Indian women reporting some educate women more about the possibility violence in India. “The book is in a sense form of abuse. Of the women reporting of such violence. “I was really pleased when a sequel to a film I made in the 1990s,” violence, 50 per cent were kicked, beaten a woman picked up my book, telling me says Rinki. “There’s been an overwhelming or hit when pregnant. About 74.8 per cent she wanted her young daughters to read it response to it across audience segments.” of the women who reported violence have and understand that this could happen to The narratives of battered women are attempted to commit suicide. anyone,” says Rinki. interspersed in the book with essays by scholars and activists, combining journalistic 30 May 2004 Can you beat that? Writer, columnist and documentary filmmaker Rinki Bhattacharya has edited an anthology on domestic violence. She should know. She’s been there Satish Nandgaonkar interviews the ex-wife of late director Basu Bhattacharya Twenty years is a long time to wait for catharsis. erupted. “He began screaming at me. That was Those were difficult days, for many refused to But cathartic is how Rinki Bhattacharya describes perhaps the beginning of the abusive behaviour.” believe her. But Bhattacharya tends to recall the the experience of awaiting the release of her new As Bhattacharya coped with the changes in her support that she got from different quarters — book — and her volcanic act of angst — on life — moving from a liberal well-to-do family from psychiatrist-turned-actor Mohan Agashe, domestic violence next week. “With this book, I filmmaker Satyajit Ray and actor Smita Patil. want to give it (her past) a decent burial,” says “Dr Agashe gave me tips on how to deal with a much-mellowed Bhattacharya — writer, Basu’s anger. Manikda wrote me a sympathetic columnist and documentary filmmaker. For after letter after he read the Manushi interview. Smita 18 years of physical and verbal abuse from her Patil publicly refused to share any forum with husband, and 20 years after she first spoke about Basu,” she recalls. it in an explosive interview — bringing domestic As she emerged out of her own shadow, she violence out of the closet — she is ready to lay began to collect books on domestic violence, her ghosts to rest. increase her involvement with the Women’s The former wife of filmmaker Basu Bhattacharya Centre and help other women in distress with was among the first high-profile women to a helpline for battered women. “Women are in speak out about domestic abuse. Her account constant denial. Many women think suffering was carried in a 1984 interview with senior MOVING ON: Rinki Bhattacharya at is their fate and they internalise it. Unless the journalist Madhu Kishwar in Manushi. The her Bandra home. victim tries to reach out herself, we cannot help,” interview brought to the fore the ugly side of Photo: Gajanan Dudhalkar she says. Bhattacharya, one of ace director Bimal Roy’s Bhattacharya has also produced a documentary promising associates and maker of sensitive into a one-room chawl and becoming a wife and — titled Chaar Diwari (Within Four Walls) — films such as the National Award-winningTeesri mother — she began to discover a parallel face that record the testimonies of domestic violence Kasam, and the trilogy, Anubhav, Avishkar and of her husband. There was, on the one hand, a survivors, exploring its psychological impact on Grihapravesh. sensitive and a creative side to the filmmaker women and children, the lack of legal recourse Rinki Bhattacharya has now edited an anthology whose films focused on strong women in search for women and the societal attitude of regarding on domestic violence, Behind Closed Doors – of an identity. And then there was the man who it more a “personal affair” than a social problem. Domestic Violence in India (Sage Publications, subjected his wife to frequent verbal and physical The book has been within her for long years. The Rs 295) which explores the various complex abuse. idea first came to her in 1984 when she began facets of what is called “the silent crime”. The For Bhattacharya, who was a part of her collecting personal stories of women victims of 234-page book includes interviews with women husband’s crew — helping in scripting, domestic abuse. Behind Closed Doors contains victims of domestic violence in different parts costumes, set and production design — the the raw testimonies of 17 such women. They of the country, apart from analytical articles anomaly was stark. “I think he was one of range from the story of Neela, whose husband by her youngest daughter Anwesha Arya, and the most talented directors. Coming from his dictated everything from which lipstick she should academics and writers such as Sobha Venkatesh background, what he achieved was great. But, wear to how the food should be served clockwise Ghosh, Kalindi Mazumdar and Shirin Kudchedkar. excessive abusiveness existed like a parallel on a plate, to Hansa who converted to Islam to For Bhattacharya, the book is a culmination of stream in him,” she says. legalise her bigamous marriage. “But I don’t a personal war against domestic violence which Rinki Bhattacharya put up with physical beatings want just battered women to read this book.