Indian film on child molestation recognised internationally

Child molestation has been a serious cause of concern in our society. Obviously, it has inspired many film-makers to experiment with the idea and send out a moral message to people. Recently, a unique short film on the subject created by three Indian ad men has received a special mention at the Barcelona Film Festival and a shortlist at the Chicago Film Festival.

The film entitled The Waif has been scripted by Raghu Bhat, executive creative director at Contract; directed by Naren Multani, head of the film division at McCann Erickson; and produced by Hozefa Alibhai, head of the film division at Publicis. The whole idea of the short film is being regarded as special because it doesn’t show any kind of molestation taking place, rather it deals with it in an abstract manner by depicting the burden of emotional guilt.

“Most child abuse films normally show an elderly person with a child. But we have started it from the point where the child abuse normally ends. There is nothing very obvious in the entire film and a lot of it has been left to the viewer’s imagination,” says Bhat.

The film — shot in Chor Bazaar — has a ravaged and violent feel with a Karunesh-style Sufi track playing in the background. “Child abuse absolutely destroys the soul of an individual. The person feels as if the entire world knows about what happened to him,” says director Naren Multani. “The film depicts how the horror never stops haunting the individual even after he has left it far behind in the past.”

Incidentally, three actors backed out before the film could be shot because they thought such a role would hamper their career. The actor (Vivek Sharma) who finally agreed to work in the film works with a public relations agency. The film is being sent to the Cannes short film festival this year.