The Netflix show, Bombay Begums which stars Pooja Bhatt, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur and Shahana Goswami dropped on the OTT platform recently and to nobody’s surprise, found itself in the midst of unnecessary controversy. The show has been called a little haywire but critics have largely praised the script, the acting and the way it handles issues like workplace harassment and #MeToo. However, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had raised many objections to the show, especially the scenes that show pre-teens engaging in illegal activities.
“As far as Bombay Begums is concerned, (a) it’s a work of fiction, (b) what’s glorious about it is that it tells you about five individual women in different stages of their lives starting from somebody who is 13 to somebody who is going to be 49 and hitting menopause. I think when I look at Bombay Begums, I don’t look at it ever as my win; I look at it as a tribe, that is one, the tribe of actors, filmmakers and creators who actually put their faith and belief into something, and that’s what kind of is resonating,” Bhatt told India Today, reacting to the controversy.
“So my response was, sit down with the Commission, talk to them, let them understand that Shai’s character is of a troubled teenager and we have plenty of those in our society who are lost within their own homes. She (the child in Bombay Begums) begins by saying ‘I would rather be a rebel and lead the pack but what am I rebelling against?’ So, I think we have all gone through that at some point. We have all been rebels without causes and I think as you grow older, you understand that you can’t have a knee-jerk response in either case. And you need to sit across the table, speak from your heart, communicate your intent, and it’ll be heard more often than not,” she added.
[Image Credit: Pooja Bhatt]
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