The rise in domestic violence, and Darlings – a dark comedy based on domestic abuse.

It was only when I sat down to write this piece, did I realize that closely following the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, something more malicious and disturbing called a “shadow pandemic”, has quietly, surreptitiously, but substantially affected many families, especially women, throughout the world, and whose repercussions – both physical and psychological – could be more long-lasting and devastating than COVID itself. The viral pandemic that began in early 2020, triggered the forced isolation of families, and the increased intimacy such isolation entails seems to have only exacerbated the intensity of this shadow pandemic and turned into a serious social problem. I a sure you would have realized by now that I am talking about the surge in domestic violence.

It is quite difficult and arguably difficult to universally define what domestic violence is. It is often interpreted in the context of morals, ethics, and social imperatives prevalent in the local culture of the place. In fact, what is considered domestic violence in one culture may not even be considered violence in some others. Though the perception of violence is changing fast globally and heading towards a consensus, even so, we are far from addressing such violence universally. Furthermore, in many countries, women are expected to adjust to the men they get married to. Ironically, the success of many arranged marriages (wherever it is still the norm) is mainly because the parties involved hardly realize they are abused or abusers themselves. Even today, in many developing countries, the amount of violence to women that goes under the name of “normal” is staggering. The United Nations defines domestic violence “as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person”. This is a pretty broad definition and encompasses a wide gamut of possibilities, and not just physical – which is the most obvious form of abuse or violence. Often, the emotional and verbal abuse could be much more devastating and pronounced than any physical scars can inflict. Violence, ironically, like love, comes in different shapes and forms.

But again, there are cultural nuances to what is considered domestic violence, and what not. The social lens used to measure, monitor, and report on domestic violence is not uniform, and more importantly, domestic violence is grossly under-reported in countries where women still do not have the same rights as menfolk. While the “Me too” movements recently have opened the doors for many women to come out and speak aloud, it has hardly scratched the surface of the problem. The women who take to social media are only the tip of the iceberg, there are millions of women out there, who suffer the trauma and weight of the abuse without any recourse or recompense, so much so, that violence is, tragically, part of their daily lives, and they come to expect it every day as a duty, a responsibility and as a social mandate imposed on them, from which there is no escape. This is the worst form of social malaise when the disease is accepted as a sign of health. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the amount of reported domestic violence across the world has gone up by 30%. With husbands and wives, or live-in partners willingly or unwillingly spending more time together along with the work stress and financial strain of collapsing economies, the ground has become fertile for domestic violence.

“Darlings”, the Alia Bhatt movie on Netflix, is about domestic violence. Netflix, for some reason, categorizes this move under “dark comedy”, when the issue is clearly of grave social importance and there is tragedy at the end. There is enough humor, albeit of the dark variety, exchanged between mother and daughter, played by Shefali Shah and Alia Bhatt respectively, but the underlying theme is that of escalating domestic violence and how the family chooses to deal with it. The movie is set in Mumbai, in a typical Mumbai-style dwelling – crowded, busy, and virtually no privacy. Badru (Alia) and Hamsa (Vijay Varma) are a Muslim couple. A love marriage, in fact. Hamsa works as a railway ticket collector (I don’t remember a major character in a movie ever working as a TC. I am sure TCs still exist, and it must be pretty boring work), deeply dissatisfied with his job, and more so, every day, he is made to feel small and inferior at the workplace. Not surprisingly, he seeks refuge in alcohol and brings home all the pent-up emotional anger and frustration at the world outside.

Badru, on the other hand, is a chirpy girl, full of life and ambitions for the family. She loves Hamsa, there is no doubt about that at all. In fact, she loves him so much, that his bursts of temper, followed by physical abuse have become part of her normal routine – a typical situation in any abusive environment when victims scarcely realize there is abuse happening. Her Mother, Shamshu, brilliantly played by the expressive Shefali shah, is a single mother, and constantly advises her daughter to set things right before it gets terribly wrong. She lives in the same colony as her daughter, and they share a fantastic relationship. Then there is Zulfi, a friend and well-wisher, with a soft corner for one of the two main ladies in the movie (we will know which one at the end).

Things get to a boiling point when a series of unintended events lead to Hamsa’s arrest for domestic violence. Badru feels sorry after an impassioned plea by Hamsa. Badru melts and brings Hamsa home. But that illusion is shattered soon, and Badru pays a heavy price. At this time, both the mother and daughter decide it is time to seek retribution in their own way. The manner in which they do so, and the way the sequence of events unfolds, is why Netflix chose to brand this film as a dark comedy. There is tragedy at the end, but redemption too.

Director and writer, Jasmeet K Reen, has attempted to tell a sensitive story without offending the sensibilities of anyone, especially in the current milieu of India. The movie moves along at a quick pace, the screenplay is reasonably taut, the dialogues are smartly written, and the cinematography manages to capture the typical lifestyle of a Mumbai colony and the assortment of people who inhabit them. Vijay Sharma as the psychotic husband Hamsa, who vacillates between the two states of profuse love and intense anger, does enough justice to his role. He does have a menacing look when he projects anger. Alia Bhatt shines as Badru. I have always believed that Alia is excellent at playing characters with subtle shades of vulnerability in them. She can also effortlessly emote happiness and pathos, and bring a certain raw energy to her characters. She is, no doubt, one of the finest actors of this generation, willing to experiment, and always seeking challenges. Furthermore, she is at ease when she is not decked up in costumes. Unlike a Sridevi or a Rekha who could straddle the worlds of glamor and realism equally well, Alia is better with life-like characters. I liked Alia as Badru better than Alia as Gangubhai. As Badru, Alia is natural and expressive as she can be without the constraints of a commercial blockbuster shadowing her performance, and in each frame, Alia appears, one can see her creative artistry at work. Shefali Shah breezes through her role. Her eyes do all the talking. Shefali has an equal role in the film, in fact, she holds the strings to the story and partners with Alia to light up the screen. I am surprised why we haven’t seen much more of Shefali shah’s versatility on the screen. She is an accomplished actor, indeed.

Darling is a watchable movie. At least, you won’t be disappointed. But does it present the issue of domestic violence and deal with it in a sensible and realistic manner, the answer is negative. The movie looks too staged, too well packaged to trigger an emotional resonance in the viewer. I got the feeling that the team was a trifle unsure how to present this material: as a dark comedy, or as a deep exploration of what domestic violence can do to those affected by it. A few years ago, Tapsee Pannu’s “Thappad” was along the same lines, but I felt Thappad showcased much more emphatically the theme of domestic violence and the hurdles women face when they choose to confront the abuse. “Darlings”, at the end of the day, leaves no deep impression, except for some stellar performances from the lead actors. That to me is a shame because, with such good actors, much more could have been done with the material. Well, next time, perhaps!!