This Indian film released in the cinema is steaming in people's hearts

Author: Ruo Xiang

The Rules for Girls is an Indian film that was released in India in September 2016 and Chinese mainland January 6, 2023. On January 15, I happened to see this movie in the rare goose feather snow in Shanghai. In the empty and almost private cinema, the heart is steaming when you watch it.

This is the story of several girls who are invited to a party, and one of the girls is almost molested by smashing one of the boys with a wine bottle. How familiar the scene is, and when I was in the cinema, I was thinking about almost the same thing that happened in 2022 in the northern city that once made people remember their names because of the earthquake.

I think of the event in which a young and brave girl and a famous host fought a lawsuit for 8 years, which ended in defeat. I don't know when we will be able to make such a thought-provoking and deafening movie here. (I can't write articles with city names and people's names, and it's certainly hard to expect us to have such films, and I don't think it's the fault of Chinese filmmakers.) ）

“Girls help girls。” The sympathy of several girls in this movie, watching over each other, brave and determined, vulnerable and strong, are admirable and shocking.

Because the man hit by the bottle was the nephew of a government official, the case of legitimate defense in turn involved the girl being arrested on charges of intentional wounding and attempted murder. From the police to the hotel staff, they casually said that the girls were prostitutes. Plots such as "perfect victim" and "slut humiliation" are vividly shown in the movie.

Three young girls who shared a house, because of this matter, personal privacy was dug up without cover. From birthplace, family, relationship history, and even sexual history, they are all accounted for in court. It has become the talk of the street after tea and dinner, and has become the front page headline of the news.

Their families, friends, lovers, were all affected. In order to prove their innocence, they have to be constantly poured with sewage, everything, just because they are girls.

The words spoken in court by the girl's defense lawyers made me tear up several times. Women bear the burden of life, the hardship of survival, the hardship of independence.

At the same time, you must always be vigilant, elegant, and pure, otherwise if something like this happens, you will not be able to argue. Your unintentional words, jokes, and drunken gaffes can all become reasons for the crowd's disdain. Misogyny complexes exist shockingly in many cases.

I excerpted a few passages from the lawyer's defense speech in the movie, and these words, read again, are still heartbreaking.

"A girl should never go anywhere alone with a boy, because if she does that, the boys will assume that she is voluntary and can touch her at will."

"A girl's smile will give a wrong impression to men, and girls can't laugh when talking to men. Even if they have good news, they should say it with a straight face. Girls should not use mobile phones, girls should not be educated, and girls should marry early. Such statements, such actions, abound. My client drank a few glasses of wine, and he repeatedly moved on her and harassed her. A girl, what else can she do? What else do you think she can do? This is legitimate defense. ”

"We've been working in the wrong direction. It is the boys, not the girls, that we should save. Because if we save our boys, our girls are safe. Instead of setting rules for girls, we should change men! Women's safety should always be solved by men! ”

In the process of watching the movie, when I saw and heard these words, my chest cavity was very suffocated and extremely uncomfortable. I think every girl, to a greater or lesser extent, resonates. Almost every girl in our upbringing was able to name a few such incidents that we didn't want to mention but that impressed us.

Now the so-called "big heroine" cool drama is very popular, and many women feel that women raise their eyebrows and are greatly encouraged in such a plot. But on the other hand, several of the things I listed at the beginning of the article happened not long ago, right around us, which made people so suffocating and helpless.

Women are violated as if they do not develop into rape and beatings, as if they are negligible. The girl who fought a lawsuit with the famous host, spent 8 years of her best youth, just to restore the truth, only for fairness and justice, she did not wait. During the second trial, she stood in the wind and spoke for a few minutes, and the silk of white hair mixed with the long hair fluttering in the wind was shocking and sad. Of course, judicial decisions are respected, because it is extremely difficult to obtain evidence in cases of indecency.

And this movie more intuitively allows us to see the hardships and pains of the process of protecting the rights of girls who really stand in court. the humiliation of those scars that keep being revealed; the shame of private life being made public; Family, appearance, figure, and behavior are all judged on the desperation. How long and difficult the road for women is.

Loosening deep-rooted beliefs and customs requires more women's courage and men's self-examination and awareness. The world is made up of both sexes, and the rights and duties accorded to each gender should be equal and peaceful. The body structure is different, the strength is very different, but there is no natural rule to buckle on the head of a woman.

Going out alone late at night, drinking and bouncing, telling jokes and jokes is not a natural right for men, and women also have such rights. What should be broken should be the natural arrogance of men, and the superiority that history and environment give to men in their bones. And those rules that are put on women's heads should not be there!

Let's end with the most shocking quote from the movie:

"No" It's not just a word, it's a complete sentence. It does not need to state the time and date, special reasons, or any further explanation, its meaning is clear, "no" means no. My client said "no," Your Honor, and these boys should know that "no" means rejection. Whether that girl is an acquaintance you just met, your friend, your girlfriend, even if she is a sex worker, even if she is your own wife, "no" means: no! When someone says no, you stop. ”

No means no!