One of the many dreams of a woman in today’s day and age is to stay out as late as she can just like her male counterpart without worrying about a thing. But sadly like many things out there that took years to be deemed alright for a woman to do, this dream will also have to wait. Even though people keep saying that the world has moved forward and women now have equal rights and everything like men, the rising amount of rape and sexual harassment cases against women tells a different tale altogether. To capture this reality in a state in India that is deemed the most unsafe for women by many citizens, Delhi, GRC Stories shot a documentary, “Delhi After 2 Am” to bring this issue to the forefront.
Delhi After 2 Am: At A Glimpse
A short documentary conducting a social experiment of about 10 minutes, “Delhi After 2 Am” is shot in one of the busiest metropolitan cities of India. It quenches the curiosity that many living outside the capital must have as to how safe it truly is in the night, especially for a woman. The protagonist of the documentary Avantika Tiwari travels around the bustling city in the dead of the night and takes us with her.
Hauz Khan, Priya Cinema, etc. places that are usually bustling with life and chatter in the daylight are blanketed with ominous silence and sly stares in the night. Auto guys who refuse to take on customers in the daylight because of various odd reasons, are oddly free to take you wherever you want. Suddenly, everyone is interested to know about your work life, or more like your job profile, for why else would you a “woman” stay out so late in the night? Strangers who won’t take a second look in the broad daylight are super friendly. And you finally realise you are indeed a “woman” in India.
Throughout the documentary, we get to see various scenarios that Tiwari as a woman faces as she travels across Delhi in the dead of the night. Though some are motivating and encouraging others are downright disturbing. Whereas on one hand, some genuinely concerned individuals are trying to look out for her, others are looking for ways to exploit her for their gains. Though there is a mixed reaction that she receives from people the creepy side manages to wipe out the encouraging side from our mind and leaves a lingering scary feeling.
Afterword
Under the direction of Shakti Kumar and Akhilesh, “Delhi After 2 AM” manages to bring forth the reality under our fingertips. Although people always had their doubts regarding a woman’s safety in Delhi, this short documentary cements their belief. With just 10 mins and brilliant camera work “Delhi After 2 AM” gave all of us some food for thought. Although we are in the 21st century, in the era of feminism, are our women truly safe?
