India is among the 36 countries which have not criminalised marital rape yet and it is high time the government thinks of bringing in stringent laws against marital rape
Finally, I binge-watched Criminal Justice 2: Behind Closed Doors, starring a formidable cast of Pankaj Tripathi, Anupriya Goenka, Kirti Kulhari, Mita Vashisht, Jisshu Sengupta, Ashish Vidyarthi, Deepti Naval, Kalyanee Mulay, Shilpa Shukla and the list just goes on...
This article is not exactly a review of the show, but I try to delve in deep and understand the issue the show highlights and portrays.
The first season of the show was released on April 5, 2019, and Criminal Justice 2: Behind Closed Doors carries forward the brilliance of Season 1.
Some might still find the first season a bit rusty here and there, the second season of the show, however, is perfectly polished and every actor gives their best and brings the best in every character.
Pankaj Tripathi has proven his mettle and he doesn't disappoint this time as well as he reprises Madhav Mishra once again.
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Deepti Naval, Mitha Vashisht, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Anupriya Goenka have been excellent as well, however, the standout performance for me has been that of Kalyanee Mulay.
Those who have not watched the Marathi movie Nude, watch it right away and thank me later. Mulay comes up with a brilliant performance in this awe-inspiring movie.
Criminal Justice 2: Behind Closed Doors highlights the issue of marital rape- an often ignored topic both by the law and also by society.
"Marital rape is a myth and a married man can never rape his legally wedded wife" is what we often get to listen to when the issue of marital rape is brought up.
Even a pet cat would pounce on its owner if the cat is cornered from all the sides. That is the basic nature of the animal- to defend itself from a possible attacker.
"How long can a woman bear the atrocities of her husband?"- I often ask myself whenever I read stories about abuses.
And if a wife is raped constantly by her husband, will she continue bearing it forever, without revolting even for a once?
Where should she go when she is raped by her husband? What should she do to stop this rapist who was supposed to protect her and look after her wellbeing- both physical and emotional?
A victim of physical and emotional abuse goes through such a hell, about which we can't even imagine! And the situations get worse when some victims don't even realise that they are victims and not guilty as portrayed by the close ones.
In Criminal Justice 2: Behind Closed Doors, there are not just one but there are four characters through whom the trauma of emotional abuse is brilliantly portrayed.
While Kulhari's character shows the extreme part of it, the other three characters, however, display this abuse in a subtle manner.
The loopholes in our law, our constant denial to admit marital rape as an act of rape, what and where we need to change and what should be the exact road ahead is effectively touched and spoken about in the series.
India is among the 36 countries which have not criminalised marital rape yet and it is high time the government thinks of bringing in stringent laws against marital rape.
Marital rape is criminal and it is a serious offence and victims of marital rapes should speak out and stand up for themselves.
"Men's rights would be violated and several women will falsely blame their husbands of marital rape," is what people often say whenever considering marital rape as a crime is raised.
I admit, there will be issues and it could be extremely difficult to establish marital rape in the court of law, but should that stop us from criminalising it?
Mita Vasisth's character Mandira Mathur, in the last episode of the show, asks a valid and reasonable question to Ashish Vidyarthi's character Dhipen Prabhu, "But, as a lawyer, don't you feel, that laws aren't made only to protect men's rights?"
Well, laws shouldn't be to protect anyone's rights based on their gender- it should protect the rights of every individual.
A lot happens behind closed doors and Criminal Justice 2: Behind Closed Doors reveals one such incident.
Watch the show. You won't be disappointed- trust me!
Partha Prawal (Goswami) is a Guwahati-based journalist who loves to write about entertainment, sports, and social and civic issues among others. He is also the author of the book 'Autobiography Of A Paedophile'.