Have You Heard This Story Before?: Varnika Kundu Case and Pink

A number of similarities may be charted between events described in Pink and the Varnika Kundu stalking incident.

The recent Chandigarh stalking case, where Varnika Kundu, the daughter of a senior Haryana IAS officer, was stalked, chased, and harassed by two men has, once again, sparked a debate around the question of women’s safety in India.

If Varnika’s story sounds familiar to you, it is probably because you have faced stalking yourself or know of people who have. It might also sound familiar because Bollywood has extensively dealt with the subject, in good ways and bad.

While movies like Raanjhanaa, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and now Toilet: Ek Prem Katha have glorified stalking, the 2016 courtroom drama Pink made an important intervention in the way in which stalking and consent are viewed in our collective imagination.

Also Read: The Quint’s #PINK Debate in Light of the Chandigarh Stalking Case

A number of similarities may be charted between events described in Pink and the Varnika stalking incident.

A High-Profile Case

Arguments of the Defence

In both cases, the defence found some fault with the complaint itself and raised questions regarding women’s “moral character” and their sense of judgement.

Questions Raised and Support

Several voices rose in support of Varnika, women posted selfies on Twitter with #AintNoCinderella, and there has been a sustained media trial. In Pink, Deepak Sehgal (Amitabh Bachchan), criticised the conception of independent and self-sufficient women as ‘prostitutes’.

In the end, the women in Pink get justice and we hope Varnika does too. As Varnika herself said, we are far from winning this battle – this is just the beginning.

Read the full story of the Varnika Kundu case here.

(We’re #TalkingStalking. Share your experiences at [e-mail] or [phone].)

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