Narratives Of Oppression and Gender Violence In Indian Cinema: Analyzing Influence On The Audience’s Attitude

In India, gender-based violence has been recognised as a pervasive phenomenon, with women continually having to deal with systemic oppression that is manifested through rape, dowry-related abuse, and violence arising from communal conflicts. Indian cinema and, more recently, over-the-top (OTT) platforms have increasingly depicted these issues, often providing narratives that are analysed and seen to potentially shape society’s perspective and understanding of such violence. This paper examines the portrayal of violence against women in Indian commercial films, OTT series, and movies over the past two decades, analysing the recurring themes and socio-cultural messages found within these narratives. Narrative analysis will be used in this study to seek to understand how such portrayals influence audience perceptions and contribute to shaping public attitudes toward gender-based violence.

Keywords: Gender Based Violence, Indian cinema, Narrative Analysis, Media representation, Societal Perception