A dark comedy dealing with the disturbing issue of domestic violence is capturing audiences in India and abroad.
Darlings, which began streaming globally on Netflix a week ago, has the biggest opening for a non-English language Indian film, with viewers spending more than 10 million hours watching it in its opening weekend, according to a statement released by the streaming service. by the BBC
It also “is currently trending in the top 10 in 16 countries across the Americas, Africa and Asia, including the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Kenya and Trinidad and Tobago.”
The film is directed by Jasmeet K Reen and stars Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah and Bollywood actor Vijay Varma in lead roles. The narrative follows a young couple falling in love before he starts abusing his young wife until, after a while, the tables are turned.
The film has attracted attention, not least because of the popularity of actor Bhatt, but also because of the backing of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s production company.
Before its release, the film also found itself in the media, with men’s rights activists accusing the Darlings of promoting violence against men and calling Bhatt “India’s Amber Heard” – a reference to the Hollywood actress who recently lost a domestic violence case against her ex. -husband Johnny Depp.
The BBC reports that Save Indian Family Foundation, a men’s rights group, posted on social media that “thousands of male victims of domestic violence were traumatized after watching the trailer” and called for a boycott of Alia Bhatt and her films.
Director Reen told the BBC: “Domestic violence is not a gender issue, it happens to men too. It is a very serious issue and we have dealt with it with sensitivity and empathy.”
