Hello everyone! I'm back with another review and this time it's a series. Sorry for not being consistent, I just can't stop writing when I write reviews and it takes a lot of time, I have homeworks to do so, I don't have enough time. Anyway, I watched the Indian series Chiraiya and to be honest, it was more than just a story, it's the reality of many households. I felt that I was watching something which is still happening somewhere. I won't say I'm a big fan of bollywood but one of my friend had recommended this series to me and he said it's really good so I couldn't avoid watching it. I don't understand Hindi, he knows so he suggested because it has English subtitles and I still decided to watch it because for me language or where a series comes from doesn't really matter. I only care about the story, if it is good and has something to offer then I will watch it anyway. Well, this review is going to be spoiler free so read it freely.
Why I watched Chiraiya? Because it had something that is uncomfortable but very real. This is an eye opener for many people who are still living in the dark. I know many people disliked this series because they think it's a normal thing and not an serious issue. Because that's how society sometimes normalizes things that should never be considered normal.
As a girl, I found some things very disturbing because they made me think about how girls are taught about relationships and marriage. In my country or in my neighbor country, people often tell girls to adjust with everything and most important thing is to stay quiet. People think the family's honour is in the hand of the girls of the family and they should tolerate anything. But I don't think the same way, I believe marriage should never mean that a woman loses control over her own body or her right to say "No".
The plot is about Pooja, she got into an arrange marriage. At first her life looks normal from outside but it was not normal at all, it was very different behind closed doors. As the story moves forward, we see how she experiences se*ual abuse within her own marriage and how her own family and her in-laws don't try to understand what she is going through.
To be honest, in my surroundings, I have seen how people normalize marital rap*. Because they believe that after marriage a husband automatically gets the right to do anything with his wife. They often use religion, tradition or a marriage certificate to justify it. I feel this is one of the horrible things to do. Like if she is your wife you don't need those things to clarify something, if she doesn't give consent you shouldn't act desperate. Someone won't die without physical interaction, right? If they are facing high level desperation then they should see a doctor. People don't understand that a marriage certificate is not permanent permission. It's a certificate which is a proof that you both are a couple not that you own someone's body. It's not about a woman only, even a guy could feel like this and he has the right to say "No". I believe marriage is not all about physical interaction, it's about love and respect for each other.
Forcing someone to do something they don't want to, what's the point of it? I really don't understand at all. Being married does not mean someone can ignore what their partner truly wants. I believe Consent still matters even if they are dating, engaged or married. You can never own someone, they are not an object or property. Everyone has a life of their own. They should be in control of their own life and body. It's not like you own a pet, feed it or play with it whenever you want, and when you command to sit then it will sit. Human beings should be treated with humanity not like an animal or toy.
I don't think any certificate can justify harmful behaviour if someone is denying for something it should be respected. Any excuses for cruelty or forcing someone into something against their will is wrong. Another thing the series made me think about is how easily society can blame victims. They would continue to follow something wrongly because they have been doing it for years. That is why I think stories like Chiraiya are important. They make us look at problems that many people prefer to ignore.
I also believe people should educate their children that love is not ownership. Marriage is not permanent consent. Overall, I found Chiraiya disturbing and thought-provoking. These kind of stories often make us uncomfortable but these are the ones that make us think the most.
What an acting by the cast I loved all of them. The dialogue writing was also marvellous and it was the best way to convey a social message like this. Siddarth Shaw was so good at it that I felt like throwing him off the building. I almost started to hate him even though he was playing a character, but he gave his best to make us hate him on hard core level. Also, Divya Dutta nailed her part as the sister-in-law. I must say they all were so good with their roles, specially Prasanna Brisht as Pooja. All of them deserves a high praise.
And personally, I am glad I gave it a chance. I also, watch Thai, Korean, and Chinese series. I love to explore from different countries. However, I would recommend watching this series if you are not sensitive to such incidents. It could be really disturbing, there are some scenes which was painful, so watch it at your own risk. The movie did not end with the acceptance of the wrong doings, but did not give a typical happy ending as well. Let me know in the comment section if you have already watched this or not.
The thumbnail was collected from IMDb
Rating: 95/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.