How does one deal with the anger and frustration propelled by news of violent social injustices rampant in one’s country? If you’re Srishti Bakshi, you walk it off. Walk the entire length of your country, or around 2,360 miles to be precise.
“Women of My Billion,” or “WOMB,” documents one young woman’s monumental undertaking: Bakshi walks through the expanse of India while meeting, and uncovering the stories of, women who have experienced violence and other gender-based discrimination on a daily basis. Directed by Ajitesh Sharma, “WOMB” was Bakshi’s brainchild. Formerly a marketing professional in Hong Kong, Bakshi packed her bags and left her job to return to India in 2017 after the international news of a gruesome gang rape in the country surfaced. Admitting that she had been an armchair activist previously, Bakshi, currently a Champion for Change with the United Nations Empower Women initiative, decided to embark on a Herculean journey, trying to identify the factors that make life for women in India so hazardous.
The documentary charts Bakshi’s expedition on foot from Kanyakumari in the southern part of India to Kashmir in the north, during the course of which she meets and interacts with women from all walks of life. She is also shown to be conducting workshops in schools and workplaces, addressing patriarchy and its toxic — and sometimes lethal — effects. She interviews some 400 women in towns and villages where she comes across survivors of domestic violence, rape, dowry deaths, and acid attacks.
“WOMB” highlights three stories from the interviews Srishti carries out during her walk: Neha Rai’s ordeal of being a domestic abuse and marital rape survivor; the multitude of stigmas tormenting Sangeeta Tiwari, a widow; and Pragya Prasun Singh’s heart-wrenching narrative of surviving an acid attack.
Talking about the journey, and her year of walking about 20 miles per day in preparation, Bakshi said in an interview that the mental agony of absorbing the traumatic experiences of women was the real challenge of her trip. There was no time to “decompress and process” the emotional upheavals, she said.
Although “WOMB” is an unsettling watch, laying bare the harrowing plight of women in India, it has its moments that inspire hope, too, as it shines a light on how women are standing up for their rights and working towards a brighter future.
In “WOMB” the activity of walking becomes a means to raise awareness in the most inaccessible of places. When asked why she chose walking over running as her primary vehicle of exploration, Bakshi said walking is the most inclusive medium in the world, one in which “a four-year old to a 90-year old, everybody would be very willing to say okay, ‘I’m going to come and walk with you.’” Bakshi’s assertion is borne out in her 240-day journey, during the best part of which women and men all from villages and cities far and wide join her, advocating for the empowerment of women in the country.
“WOMB” screened at the London Indian Film Festival and New York Indian Film Festival in June. It won the Audience Award at the former.
Upcoming Screening:
Sunday, August 15 – Monday, August 30 – Indian Film Festival of Melbourne – Australia
Keep an eye on the film’s official website for added screenings.
Under the Radar offers a chance for us to highlight works by and/or about women that haven’t received big releases or significant coverage in the press, but are wholly worthy of attention.
