On December 16, 2012 a young woman and her friend travelling on a bus in South Delhi were physically assaulted. The young woman was raped and brutalized and fought for her life for days following. Unfortunately she lost her life, but her struggle galvanized millions in India to demand for justice. In Delhi, tens of thousands of people protested and the show of support for this young woman and the demand to end rape was unprecedented in history.
The incident left a deep impact on us and as filmmakers, and we felt compelled to address it through our medium of visual story telling. We were incredibly inspired by the “DELHI RISING” crew that would gather for weekly meetings at our studio in Hauz Khas Village. The Delhi Rising films were created by the Jamun Collective to capture the voice of young women and men in Delhi during this time. To understand and communicate the impact not only of the violent crime but also the gender based disparity that exists around us. The films were a contribution to the One Billon Rising campaign on February 14, 2013. The campaign was a global appeal started by the playwright Eve Ensler. It used the medium of dance as a form of protest against rape and sexual assault. These films were shared widely by the international community and press, and spontaneously across social media networks by people and concerned citizens.
In the first three days Delhi Rising 1 had shot up to 10,000 views – this without any paid advertising on facebook or youtube. It was after this that the Twitter hash tag #DELHIRISING got popular and was shared by people in the field of advocacy and gender rights as well as those in local media and entertainment like cricketers and bollywood stars. The films by then starting getting plays of over 5000 + a day.
Following the Delhi Rising films, similar initiatives in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Pune and other parts of the country followed. The films inspired flash mobs, teach-ins, protests, and a huge media coverage in India on the 14th. With over 60,000 views, the films touched the sentiments of many in India and globally.
A film by Jamun
Music : "A Distant Rumble" by GRAIN + Ankur Tewari