Movies such as Salaam Namaste, Hum Tum, Ishq Vishq have been used to make videos on sex education in an initiative taken by Dr Anvita Madan Bahel.
Movies such as Salaam Namaste, Hum Tum, Ishq Vishq have been used to
make videos on sex education
Soon, city teenagers will learn about the birds and the bees through popular Bollywood films. Movies such as Salaam Namaste, Hum Tum, Ishq Vishq have been used to make videos on sex education in an initiative taken by Dr Anvita Madan Bahel.
Bahel, a psychologist, along with three activists, has formed a non-profit organisation, SHARE (Sexual Health Research and Education), which has developed the programme as part of a research study in New York.
Youngsters of Asian origin were shown clips from movies like Bend it Like Beckham, Fire, and Monsoon Wedding. “The programme was well received by youngsters from India and Pakistan as it brought taboos like pre-martial sex, teenage pregnancy and gender identity out in the open,” she said.
The research has been compiled in the form of a book named ‘Sexual Health and Bollywood Films: A culturally based programme for South Asian Teenage Girl’, and was published in August by Cambria Press Publishers.
While the Indian government is in two minds about syllabus for sex education, the team has put together strategic clips from Bollywood hits on a variety of topics ranging from gender roles, sexual health, body image and sexuality, machismo, sexual violence, and HIV. “It is a ten-week programme wherein eight topics will be discussed through 15-minute videos. For example pre-marital sex videos feature scenes from Salaam
Namaste where Preity Zinta has consensual sex before marriage and Ishq Vishq where the protagonist refuses to have any physical relationship before marriage,” explained Bahel.
SHARE has already finished the pilot session at Saathi, an NGO for runaway girls. “Through this programme, we create a culturally sensitive environment to facilitate self-exploration and open discussions. It also de-stigmatises conversations about sexual health and therefore imparts knowledge on variety of topics,” said Seema Singh, a team member.
However, Bahel stressed on the need to keep the programme updated with clips from new hits. “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na has wonderful scenes on machismo and dating violence. Similarly, Aishwarya Rai’s Provoked, has clips on domestic and sexual violence. We will update the videos regularly,” Singh added.
r_priya@dnaindia.net
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