Indian cinema, by and large, tries to avoid films revolving around or even touching child sexual abuse and/or incestuous abuse of children by older relatives. One of the reasons why filmmakers shy away from the subject is because it is sensitive and may not draw the mass audience. Another reason is that the censors might not permit a film that deals with such a delicate issue. The third reason is that actors might shy away from taking part in a film dealing with child abuse. The fourth is the conspiracy of collective silence in the larger society about child abuse.

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Indian cinema has touched upon child abuse but has never linked it to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In most films such as Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001) it forms a small sub-plot coming across powerfully towards the end when the single girl in the family, Riya (Shefali Shah), reveals in front of her family that as a little girl, she was molested by her uncle Tej (Rajat Kapoor). Another uncle (Naseeruddin Shah) stands by her and takes action against the abuser asking him to leave.

I Am (2010) directed by Onir, comprised four short stories which was crowd-funded by more than 400 people. The film won accolades at festivals and bagged two National Awards for Best Hindi Film and Best Lyrics in 2012. One of the four stories, My Name Is Abhimanyu featuring Sanjay Suri is about the haunting memories of consistent sexual abuse of a boy by his stepfather.

That Girl in Yellow Boots (2011) directed by Anurag Kashyap with Kalki Koechlin portraying the protagonist, deals with incest in a dark film that offers neither relief nor a happy ending. Anurag Kashyap said, “I was determined to tell a story that grappled honestly and frankly with incest in India. It is a shockingly common occurrence, but one that is rarely ever talked about.”

In Imtiaz Ali’s Highway (2014) both the captive girl (Alia Bhatt) and her abductor (Randeep Hooda) strike a chord under strange circumstances. Despite coming from different socio-economic groups and gender, both have traumatic memories of being sexually exploited as children. The girl finally exposes her abuser as the stunned family fights hard to........

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