Martyrs of Marriage - Documentary on Misuse of 498A
Update [March 2020]: The full documentary is now available on Youtube in Hindi and English.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKRAkw5RUdw&feature=youtu.be
Update [November 2017]: The documentary is now available on Netflix worldwide :)
About the film:
The Indian Penal Code 498A deals with ‘Matrimonial Cruelty' towards a woman. It’s a cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence that seeks to defend victims of dowry harassment. The term ‘victim’ legally refers to women alone, and many would say, rightly so. For how does a man ever become a victim of dowry? Do they even?
Well, yes. They do.
The nasty misuse of this law has now dragged many men to court for a crime they never committed. Mothers who danced with joy at their sons’ weddings, now live in denial of their deaths. Unreported and unrecognised as even an issue, the Indian Penal Code 498A has been reduced to a means of ‘settling scores’, diminishing all the value and actual benefits of it.
It’s not just one, but a series of heartbreaking stories. All it takes is one false complaint and a plethora of disgust and social distress is brought down upon a happy family. Men who are unfairly caught in this vicious trap are subjected to social humiliation and mental trauma. The torment is further inflicted upon their families, who are named as accomplices in the crime. One false case, several police interventions and public shaming later - the consequences are as harsh as a decision to end lives, to give up on the hope of ever being able to escape the accusations.
The French Fries Films team came on board as the production partners for this film because we saw the need for a change. This belief and the objective of demanding gender-neutral laws drove us to do our bit, and hence came the idea of ‘Martyrs of Marriage’. Fortunately, we weren’t alone. With the support of over 1500 people from crowdfunding websites, the documentary came to life.
This film in no way intends to undermine the crimes against women or communicate that these issues do not exist. They do. But so does the abuse of this special provision made for the protection of women, which needs to be brought to light.
Martyrs of Marriage’ chronicles the life of people who are fighting the abuse of the Indian Penal Code 498A. It showcases the severe victimization of several families, particularly men who have suffered and continue to do so, for no fault of their own. All they did was get married!
