It's Your Fault is a 2013 satirical video starring Kalki Koechlin and VJ Juhi Pandey that deals with the issue of rape in India. [1] It went viral on the internet, with over 5,500,000 views on YouTube. It was created by All India Bakchod . [1] [2]
The group of stand-up comedians known as 'AIB'—Tanmay Bhat, Gursimran Khamba, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya—created the video in the wake of sexual assault cases in India. Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin and VJ Juhi Pandey are also featured in it. Illustrating the different dimensions of a victim's life, [3] it mocks the Indian mindset that blames women for provoking rape. [4] [5]
Rohan Joshi explained: "It's not what you would expect from a group of four funny guys, and that's just the point. Nothing at all, no part of this, is funny, and therefore we approached it in a different way. The response has been amazing, from the moment we posted the video till now. It is something that every person we know relates to and feels strongly about."
Juhi Pandey, who co-starred in the video, said: "We knew when we were shooting the video that it would get a lot of reactions. Eyebrows would be raised and there would be a lot of discussion. We've all had these discussions in our social groups and have all felt angry and frustrated at these statements that have made headlines. Yes, this video will only reach the English-speaking, 'sarcasm-understanding' young person, but at least it's out there. It's a drop in the ocean, but it is still a drop and I am glad to have been a part of it." [6]
Koechlin initially felt she was too busy to appear in the video, but said, "when Bhat sent the script, I changed my mind... It was so funny, clever and relevant to what’s happening that I immediately agreed." She added: "We were worried about people not understanding the sarcasm. It’s a sensitive topic and we were anxious that it might backfire." She said that its intention was not to offend anyone. "Humour is a fantastic way to deal with a serious subject. You are making people uncomfortable, but at the same time you are not preaching or forcing views down their throat." [7]
The video addresses some of the "absurd" beliefs about rape expounded by Indian politicians and functionaries, including: [1]
The video, posted on 19 September 2013, went viral on almost all social networking sites.
In its review, The Hindu said: "This venture can’t have been easy given the seriousness of the topic and the delicate sensibilities of the public. Taking an issue like patriarchy or rape and choosing to get your message across via satire must have been incredibly difficult to do. The AIB team, I think, were largely successful because of the glaring obviousness of the hurt and the relevance of this cause to the women featured in the video... AIB’s It’s Your Fault scores." [13]
AIB has received many requests to dub the video into other languages so it can reach wider audiences. [7]
Slut is an English-language term for a person, usually a woman, who is sexually promiscuous or considered to have loose sexual morals. It is predominately used as an insult, sexual slur or offensive term of disparagement. It originally meant "a dirty, slovenly woman", and is rarely used to refer to men, generally requiring clarification by use of the terms male slut or man whore.
Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as the greater tendency to blame victims of rape than victims of robbery if victims and perpetrators knew each other prior to the commission of the crime. The Gay Panic Defense has also been used to justify violence against LGBTQ people.
Rape culture is a setting, as described by some sociological theories, in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to that setting's attitudes about gender and sexuality. Behaviors commonly associated with rape culture include victim blaming, slut-shaming, sexual objectification, trivializing rape, denial of widespread rape, refusing to acknowledge the harm caused by sexual violence, or some combination of these. It has been used to describe and explain behavior within social groups, including prison rape and in conflict areas where war rape is used as psychological warfare. Entire societies have been alleged to be rape cultures.
The IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the ceremony.
Rape is a traumatic experience that affects the victim (survivor) in a physical, psychological, and sociological way. Even though the effects and aftermath of rape differ among victims, individuals tend to suffer from similar issues found within these three categories. Long-term reactions may involve the development of coping mechanisms that will either benefit the victim, such as social support, or inhibit their recovery. Seeking support and professional resources may assist the victim in numerous ways.
Kalki Koechlin is a French actress and writer who works in Hindi films. Known for her unconventional body of work, she is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, a Filmfare Award, and two Screen Awards. Although a French citizen, she has been raised and lived most of her life in India.
That Girl in Yellow Boots is a 2010 Indian thriller film by director Anurag Kashyap, starring Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. The film was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, followed by the Venice Film Festival after it played in several festivals worldwide including the South Asian International Film Festival. The commercial release however took place a year later in September 2011, both in India as well as in the U.S.
SlutWalk is a transnational movement calling for an end to rape culture, including victim blaming and slut-shaming of sexual assault victims. Participants protest against explaining or excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman's appearance. The rallies began on April 3, 2011, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, after a Toronto Police officer suggested that "women should avoid dressing like sluts" as a precaution against sexual assault. Subsequent rallies have occurred globally.
Slut-shaming is the practice of criticizing people who violate expectations of behavior and appearance regarding issues related to sexuality. It may also be used in reference to gay men, who may face disapproval for promiscuous sexual behaviors. Gender-based violence primarily affecting women can be a result of slut-shaming. The term is commonly used to reclaim the word slut and empower women to have agency over their own sexuality.
Rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India. According to the 2021 annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 31,677 rape cases were registered across the country, or an average of 86 cases daily, a rise from 2020 with 28,046 cases, while in 2019, 32,033 cases were registered. Of the total 31,677 rape cases, 28,147 of the rapes were committed by persons known to the victim. The share of victims who were minors or below 18 – the legal age of consent – stood at 10%.
The 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder, commonly known as the Nirbhaya case, involved a rape and fatal assault that occurred on 16 December 2012 in Munirka, a neighbourhood in South Delhi. The incident took place when Jyoti Singh, a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern, was beaten, gang-raped, and tortured in a private bus in which she was travelling with her male friend, Avnindra Pratap Pandey. There were six others in the bus, including the driver, all of whom raped the woman and beat her friend. She was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi for treatment and, as the public outrage mounted, the government had her transferred to Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore eleven days after the assault, where she succumbed to her injuries two days later. The incident generated widespread national and international coverage and was widely condemned, both in India and abroad. Subsequently, public protests against the state and central governments for failing to provide adequate security for women took place in New Delhi, where thousands of protesters clashed with security forces. Similar protests took place in major cities throughout the country. Since Indian law does not allow the press to publish a rape victim's name, the victim was widely known as Nirbhaya, meaning "fearless", and her struggle and death became a symbol of women's resistance to rape around the world.
All India Bakchod was a Mumbai-based comedy company which created the eponymous podcast, YouTube channel and production company. The name is a parody of All India Radio. It began in 2012 as a humour/pop-culture podcast co-started by comedians Tanmay Bhat and Gursimran Khamba. Their friends and contemporary comedians, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya were frequent guests and the four co-founded the YouTube channel in 2013 and began making sketches. They subsequently formed a digital agency and produced sketches, live comedy and TV shows.
Tanmay Bhat is an Indian YouTuber, comedian, scriptwriter, Actor, performer and producer who hails from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Born in a Kannada speaking South Indian middle class family, Bhat did his schooling from Cosmopolitan Education Society located in Andheri. He went on to pursue his higher education at the R. D. National College and Jai Hind College. He is the co-founder and former CEO of the creative agency All India Bakchod (AIB) along with Gur simranjeet Singh Khamba. In 2018, he was the judge on season 1 of Comicstaan, a stand-up comedy competition broadcast on Amazon Prime.
Rape myths are prejudicial, stereotyped, and false beliefs about sexual assaults, rapists, and rape victims. They often serve to excuse sexual aggression, create hostility toward victims, and bias criminal prosecution.
Azmaish: A Journey Through the Subcontinent, alternatively known as Azmaish: Trials of Life is a 2017 independent documentary film directed by Sabiha Sumar. A Pakistani-Indian co-production, it was produced by Sathananthan Sachithanandam of the Vidhi Films, and follows Sumar and Kalki Koechlin's journey through various parts of India and Pakistan, and their exploration of the relations between the two countries and their contemporary political and sociocultural scenarios.
The Indian#MeToo movement began in late 2018 to manifest in areas of the Indian society including the government, the media, and the Bollywood film industry. In India, the Me Too movement is seen as either an independent outgrowth influenced by the international campaign against sexual harassment of women in the workplace, or an offshoot of the American "Me Too" social movement. Me Too began gaining prominence in India with the increasing popularity of the international movement, and later gathered sharp momentum in October 2018 in the entertainment industry of Bollywood, centered in Mumbai, when actress Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. This led to many women in the news media, Indian films, and even within the government to speak out and bring allegations of sexual harassment against a number of perpetrators.
On Air With AIB is an Indian satire television program created by All India Bakchod on Star India's digital platform Hotstar. It aired between 2015 and 2018. It was modeled after The Daily Show, SNL, and Last Week Tonight. The first season was replayed on StarPlus and Star World on the weekends. Seasons two and three were Hotstar digital exclusives, and shorter segments were uploaded on the AIB YouTube channel. The show was produced by Only Much Louder, a Mumbai-based entertainment company and AIB's former management, and was cancelled in its third season due to two separate instances of lack of redressal of sexual misconduct complaints by employees against collaborators, by the group's co-founders Tanmay Bhat and Gursimranjeet Singh Khamba. The opening theme "Tragedy Mein Comedy", is written, and performed, by Mumbai-based MC and producer Naezy. The track is produced by the production duo StunnahSezBeatz. All studio episodes were shot in Mumbai.
SCUD is an Indian film production and distribution company established and owned by Satarupa Sanyal in 1998. In the same year, the independent film maker produced and directed her debut film ANU. The success and widespread recognition of the ANU, nationally and overseas, laid the foundation of the company.
Rohan Joshi is a YouTuber. He was one of founding members of the creative agency All India Bakchod. Joshi scripted and starred in several YouTube sketches for All India Bakchod, and was one of the co-creators of the satirical news comedy show On Air with AIB. Now, he runs his own YouTube channel and makes reaction videos with Tanmay Bhat and Nishant Tanwar.
Balam Pichkari is a Hindi song from the 2013 film, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, with music composed by Pritam Chakraborty, lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, and sung by Shalmali Kholgade and Vishal Dadlani. The music video of the track mainly focuses on actors Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Kalki Koechlin, and Aditya Roy Kapur. This song is often played during Holi such as on TV shows.