“Meninist”. “Men’s Rights Activist”. “Rape Apologist”. Documentary filmmaker Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj is saddled with many unwanted tags. However, the former journalist believes that she strives for the true cause of gender equality and chooses to balance out feminism, a movement she believes to be intrinsically sexist, by advocating men’s rights.
32-year-old Bhardwaj says she used to be like everyone else, believing that only women ever face atrocities. However, in 2011, her life took an unfortunate turn, when a false case of domestic violence and dowry rocked her family. It was that incident which drew her attention to false dowry and domestic violence cases. She started researching on Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty face by a woman at the hands of her husband or his family, and in 2016, her documentary ‘Martyrs of Marriage’ finally came to be.
‘Martyrs of Marriage’, which deals with the misuse of dowry is now available on Netflix.
