The film directed by Ravi Udyawar has some misleading information on legal procedures and a troubling depiction of trangenders.
Let's begin with addressing the whole vigilantism angle of the movie MOM. In a country where mob lynchings, cow vigilantism, anti-Romeo squads and more are making a mockery of the legal system, we know there's a problem. Instead of addressing this constructively, MOM just throws in the towel and doesn't even wait for the legal procedure to progress before embarking on a murder spree. How far will the eye for an eye formula be stretched when the depiction purports that the answer to crime is crime itself? On one hand, we had a movie like Pink which gave hope to assault survivors, but MOM makes it seem completely hopeless. The woman (played by actress Sridevi) doesn't even wait for a High Court appeal, and tells the cop (Akshaye Khanna) to dispose of the forensic evidence without even giving the legal system a second chance!
Secondly, let's talk about the misleading and confusing information about legal procedures highlighted in the movie. Arya's testimony was negated because she had alcohol in her system when she was assaulted, while the Indian Penal Code specifically states that if a female was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, even if she gave consent, it would be considered rape. The information put forth by the movie is too befuddled. Alcohol does not lead to amnesia! Arya clearly remembered who her rapists were and gave testimony accordingly. The uncalled for apathy of the court and medico-legal system seems too contrived and rushed, to set off the killings by Sridevi's character, which is the main plot of the movie.
Thirdly, there is the problematic depiction of transgenders who are only introduced into the story so that they can be hired to castrate a rapist by using seduction and posing as sex workers. This is despite the fact that they are educated and running a legitimate business enterprise. Hailing MOM as a feminist movie becomes impossible when it portrays transgender persons in alignment with the common trope of castrations by transgender gangs, further reinforcing fears and a tendency to marginalize them from society.
Finally, the movie forgets its own driving force, the assault survivor. Not one scene is dedicated to constructive steps they should have taken to assuage her mental trauma. There is no counsellor who talks to her, no heart to heart with her family, and no chance for the mother-daughter duo to forge a relationship based on empathy. The mom, in fact, feels that she has 'lost' Arya, viewing her as a lifelong victim rather than a survivor. No one talks of Arya pursuing her studies, even from home, let alone attempting to get her back into school. Yes, assault is terrible. Yes, you need time to get over it. But there were no steps to urge her not to let the incident define her life. It is here that we must realize that justice is different from revenge. We must ask ourselves whether bathing in the blood of your enemies by taking the law into your hands is justice at all.
Ishmeet Nagpal is Advocacy and Communications Manager at Populaton First
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