Javed Akhtar on potential causes of rape

Over the past few years, India has seen an increase in the number of rapes reported. While some claim Bollywood and the westernisation of Indian culture is a factor to rape, Javed Akhtar disagrees.

Absolute India quote Akhtar having stated at a recent event, “Westernisation in no way leads to such incidents… It is because of two basic reasons: social segregation and economic divide.”

Feeling strongly about this, he added, “If you do wrong diagnosis of the disease of your country, then you can never get rid of it.”

Akhtar went on to add that the portrayal of women in Bollywood films is a lot stronger now than in the past. He did, however, clarify that a character does not “need to smoke a cigarette onscreen or boast to sleep with a number of men from various nationalities” to endorse female empowerment.

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