"how can you even telecast this s**t?"
Star Plus show Jhanak came under fire for an implied rape scene in a recent episode.
In the episode, an intoxicated Aniruddh (Krushal Ahuja) shared an intimate moment with Arshi (Chandni Sharma).
Aniruddh continues to miss Jhanak (Hiba Nawab), who he believes is dead. In a moment of weakness, he begins seeing her in Arshi.
Arshi manipulates Aniruddh and it is implied that they sleep together.
She later reveals that she is pregnant with Aniruddh’s child.
Jhanak makes a return and confronts Aniruddh, who says he did not know what he was doing.
He admitted that he made a “mistake” by getting intimate with Arshi.
The scene faced backlash for its lack of consent when it came to intimacy and how the pregnancy reveal was portrayed.
Users highlighted that Aniruddh was intoxicated, therefore, he was not in a position to give consent.
One wrote: “She made that RAPE AS ‘PYAAR’ and look how she announced the pregnancy in front of everyone.
“What kind of dialogues are these, how can you even telecast this s**t?
“Writers and channels should be ashamed STARPLUS JUSTIFYING RAPE.”
“AGAR TUMHE JHANAK CHAHIYA NA ANI? TO TUMHE MUZE APANA NA HOGA”
while the ani is in a drugged state in no position to understand and differentiate between and arshi #Jhanak
Does this look like consent to you?@RakeshDhotre01 @StarPlus @LeenaGanguli
STARPLUS JUSTIFYING RAPE pic.twitter.com/CNv33OudPy
— ViraP (@VirashreeP) December 23, 2024
Criticising screenwriter Leena Gangopadhyay, another said:
“Exactly, this writer doesn’t write a story for the audience, she writes only to show TRP.”
“Whatever the concept of the story is giving the wrong message to society, all of the society, all kinds of generations see the story on TV.”
The backlash led to the makers issuing a statement.
It thanked those who made a complaint but said:
“Kindly bear in mind that the show is a work of fiction that often relies on hyperbolic circumstances that are not rooted in reality and cannot be compared with real life.
“Jhanak is a classic love triangle where the lives of three people are forever intertwined due to circumstances out of their control.”
The statement insisted that Aniruddh and Arshi are “long-term romantic partners” and claimed there was no indication of “coercion”.
It added: “We request you not to judge the maker’s intent through what happens in a few episodes and continue to follow the show to see how the story pans out and reaches its natural conclusion.”
The statement resulted in further backlash as many accused Star Plus of “justifying rape”
One commented: “Just cuz it’s a fictional show doesn’t mean you can justify rape, domestic violence, gay bashing, or any form of abuse under the guise of drama or storytelling.
“Fictional content is consumed by REAL people and its impact extends beyond entertainment.”
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