Stalking: A Crime Normalized by Bollywood

Abstract

The media has become so pervasive in our lives that it is impossible to avoid the ideas and messages that are being broadcast to us, even if we make a concerted attempt. The Bollywood business is a prime illustration of this, as it pervades practically every aspect of Indians’ lives. Bollywood is the world's largest film industry in terms of the number of movies produced annually in a single nation, with 364 movies being shown each year (2017). Thousands of people flock to theatres to see Bollywood films, which are well received throughout the country. Various scenes and songs from these films leave an impression on the audience and often these can be extremely negative. In several Bollywood movies, stalking is portrayed in a very normalized manner. These movies show that stalking a person without their consent is completely okay. These negative aspects in Bollywood movies have a strong impact on all who watch them and often the act of stalking is enacted by these very people in real life scenarios which leads to the commission of an even more gruesome crime. The author of this research paper will be analysing the normalization of stalking in Bollywood movies and songs. The author will be examining the effect this normalization by Bollywood has on people’s minds. The author will also be studying the concept of masculinity, hypermasculinity that is portrayed in Bollywood movies and how it affects the perception of men about women and stalking.