HOW CRIMES IN GURGAON INSPIRED CINEMA, LITERATURE
Against the backdrop of gruesome crimes such as honour killing, rape, murder and other incidents, Gurgaon, became a subject of interest for filmmakers to conceptualise features and short films, in 2017
Naina Arora
Gurgaon is called the Millennium City for its corporate culture, highrises, and nightlife — which have reflected in many Bollywood films such as Tamasha (2015), Piku (2015), and Bewakoofiyaan (2014), to name a few. In 2017, however, it’s Gurgaon’s (Haryana) crime scene that formed the backdrop of cinema — both short films and full-length features — and even literature. Here’s a low-down:
‘EXPOSING THE SIMMERING BRUTALITY’
“I came to know of a girl who was electrocuted by her family for being in love. The image stayed in my head,” says Rahul Dahiya, director of the film, G Kutta Se (G — A Wanton Heart). This heartwrenching incident in Dhaiya’s mother’s village, motivated him to make this movie. “I wanted to explore how your loved ones can turn against you, and even kill you. I made this film to expose the hypocrisy surrounding sex, and the simmering brutality even in our so-called prosperous villages. The reasons are always linked to the family’s honour,” says Dahiya, who was based in Gurgaon until 2005.
‘CRIME IS REAL’
Shanker Raman’s noir thriller titled Gurgaon presented a dark, mean world with deeprooted gender issues in a family living in Gurgaon. “I was interested in exploring crimes against women. If you explore deeper into such crimes, you’ll encounter a harsh system of patriarchy,” says Raman.
‘GURGAON HAS A DARK SIDE, WHICH WE TEND TO IGNORE’
Harsh Vardhan Wig and Ishan Piplani, a duo from the Millennium City, made a 45minute revenge drama titled Gurugram based on crime against women. Shot in places such as the Phase 1 underpass, Sector 29, and a police station in Faridabad, it was aimed at highlighting the safety concerns in Gurgaon. “The city is growing at a rapid pace, but it also has a dark side, which we tend to ignore,” says Harsh, actor-producer of the film.
‘GURGAON’S RAT RACE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO DEPRESSION’
Gurgaon-based author Debeshi Gooptu’s book, Gurgaon Diaries, is a byproduct of her five-year blog on life in Gurgaon. She says, “Along with the race to do well, live in bigger houses, the rat race has contributed to the emotional instability.”
She adds, “I wrote about an incident of a washerman whose daughter was raped and killed. The rich say that the migrant labourers are the ones who commit crimes. But the migrant labourers are also the ones at the receiving end”
I was interested in exploring crimes against women, and how deep does it go and where does it come from. If you explore deeper into such crimes, you’ll encounter a harsh system of patriarchy SHANKER RAMAN FILMMAKER
20 years ago, Gurgaon was a completely different place. Despite being a prosperous economic hub, the increased pace of development has created a lot of restlessness
DEBESHI GOOPTU AUTHOR
I made this film [G Kutta Se] to expose the hypocrisy surrounding sex, and the simmering brutality even in our socalled prosperous villages
RAHUL DAHIYA FILMMAKER