Dharm Karam (1975)
Using women as titillating PR to sell films started decades ago
Film: Dharm Karam
Year of release: 1975
Director: Randhir Kapoor
Writer: Prayag Raj
Producer: Raj Kapoor
Lead Actors: Raj Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Rekha, Dara Singh, Jagdish Raj
Bollywood seems to be the biggest enabler of gender-based crimes against women. For years, filmmakers have normalised lewd discussions on women and used titillating scenes on screen to sell bad stories.
Take ‘Dharam Karam’ by Raj and Randhir Kapoor, for example. Rekha is introduced in the film with a semi-open blouse. She has no other role in the film except being the subject of lewd conversations about female nudity.
Even the poster of the film, as available on Wikipedia here, shows how the producers used her sexuality to tantalise viewers. Her pose will oddly remind one of Deepika in the controversial ‘Besharam Rang’ from Pathaan (2023).
You might want to scroll down the link below and follow the whole thread by Gems of Bollywood to understand Bollywood’s idea of women emancipation.
Educational video on girl child comparing her growing breasts with fruits of pooja and flowers of mandir
Dharam Karam by Raj and Randhir Kapoor
Then they feel angry when we call Urduwood biggest enabler of gender and child crimespic.twitter.com/b6TMLPrLxy— Gems of Bollywood ??????? ?? ???? (@GemsOfBollywood) September 5, 2021