Integrating Legal, Feminist, and Cinematic Narratives: An Analysis of Film Akaash Vani
Integrating Legal, Feminist, and Cinematic Narratives: An Analysis of Film Akaash Vani

Summary/Abstract: The film Akaash Vani (2013) exhibits a significant shift in how domestic violence is depicted in Hindi cinema, moving away from honor-based moral judgments to a perspective centered on rights. This article demonstrates how the film challenges the prevalent honor culture in India, highlighting it as a barrier to achieving gender equality and violence-free households. This article employs Orit Kamir’s “law and film” theory alongside a mise-en-scène approach to critically examine how the film portrays coercion and control within domestic spaces. The article argues that through its visual depiction of domestic violence, the film offers cultural representations that align with feminist and legal perspectives on the issue. The film repeatedly depicts Vani (the protagonist) tensed, weeping, alone at the edge of her bed, in the kitchen, or serving meals to her husband, framed in dim lighting and often in silence. This visual motif emphasizes her isolation and constrained autonomy, highlighting the coercive forces and control embedded within the marital relationship. These choices in composition and lighting create a somber, claustrophobic atmosphere that mirrors her emotional confinement.

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