Big B gives voice-over in women-issues documentary

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal among others have lent their voices in hard-hitting documentary Women Prayed and Preyed Upon.

Directed by Kankana Chakraborty, the hard hitting documentary shows the whole dichotomy of putting women on a pedestal as Streeshakti and then dishonouring her in every conceivable way. "I think society needs to ask the question what women stand for... I think may be its time to 'pray' (for) women than prey them," Bachchan said in his voice-over in the film.

"No woman means no life," said Benegal. Recalling how Bachchan had reacted to the script and presentation, Kankana said, "Amitji had tweeted how deeply anguished he felt after mouthing some lines of the script and helpless at the same time." "We had thought about screening the film on the Women's Day. But we could not. Now we think the decision to show the film on just another day, having no special significance is more circumspect and significant...," Chakraborty said.

"All my cast in the docu are non-actors in the sense they had all experienced some kinds of atrocity. And tell me which girl doesn't face. The documentary also seeks to debunk the male psyche to look at women, girls differently, as hailing from another planet, and not as friends, and fellow humans," Kankana said.

The film, having been screened to a packed audience in consecutive shows last week, earned plaudits from film makers like Goutam Ghosh and Atanu Ghosh. "It confronts us with many issues," the Kalbela director said. "We are also launching a Facebook campaign with the title track of the film which has been composed by Sanjeev Tiwary and brought to life with so much passion by Raghab Chatterjee," Kankana said.

PTI