This video (YouTube link below) is part of Love Matters India's campaign against intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic violence. It's a step to help young people recognise verbal abuse and act against it.
SCRIPT:
The video opens with a shot of a young, smiling girl looking into the camera. You hear a recorded voice in the background, “The number you’re trying is currently busy on another call. Please try again after some time.”
Suddenly, the call gets connected and a man starts talking.
“WHO WERE YOU TALKING TO?
WHAT? YOUR FRIEND?
IS HE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME?
KYA BOLI TU?
FEMALE FRIEND BHI HO SAKTI HAI! HAIN?
EK KAAM KAR, AB TU APNE GHAR JA.
BHAAD MAIN GAYA TERA FUCKING NIGHT OUT
JUST GO AND FUCK YOURSELF. “
A bruise appears on the girl’s face. Her wide smile fades away and she looks irritated. The comment has ruined her mood. We cut to a profile shot where you see the girl’s sad face.
Next you see the girl again in a different outfit. You hear the same man talking in the background:
“TIME MIL GAYA MILNE KA?
APPOINTMENT LENA PADEGA KYA AB ?
SO WHAT’S KEEPING YOU OCCUPIED? WORK OR PEOPLE AT WORK?
KYA? TUJHE AUR BHI KAAM HOTE HAI?
LISTEN, I KNOW WHY YOUR BOSS IS PROMOTING YOU EVERY YEAR
FUCKING SLUT!”
Two more bruises appear on the girl’s face during this time. We cut to a black and white profile shot where you see her screaming in frustration. ( Do you realise it could be domestic violence?)
We cut back to the frontal shot. You hear the same man talking at the top of his voice.
“PATA HAI KAB SE WAIT KAR RAHA HOON TERA
TERA MAKE UP KHATAM HI NAHI HOTA YAAR
YEH KYA KAPDE PEHEN KE AAYI HAI TU
ARE YOU ON FUCKING SALE OR WHAT?
JA, RATE CARD BHI BANA LE APNA.”
Even more bruises appear on the girl’s face. Then you see a profile shot where the girl is on the verge of breaking down. She is about to cry. And suddenly the man shouts again which scares her.
“AB SHAKAL KYA DEKH RAHI HAI MERI
DATE IS OVER. CHAL DAFA HO AB.”
The girl shuts her eyes and tears roll down her badly bruised face.
The end message reads:
“WORDS CAN HURT.
STOP VERBAL ABUSE.
#BearNoMore
A STEP AGAINST INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE.”
A LOVEMATTERS.IN INITIATVE POWERED BY RNW MEDIA.
Do you realise it could be domestic violence? Domestic violence can be physical and verbal abuse, both. Have questions of domestic violence? Join our discussion forum to have your questions answered or connect to us via Facebook.
Gayatri Parameswaran is a multi-award-winning writer, director and producer of immersive media works. She was born and raised in India and is currently based in Berlin, where she co-founded NowHere Media - a storytelling studio that views contemporary issues through a critical lens. She also edited the Love Matters website in its initial years. Check out more about her here.