Oppression continues, but form has changed: 'Hellaro' director

"Oppression against the weaker sections of society has continued, only its form has changed," Abhishek Shah, director of National Award-winning film 'Hellaro' feels.

Shah was addressing the media after the inaugural function of the Aurangabad International Film Festival earlier this week.

The filmmaker's Gujarati film 'Hellaro' won the National Award in 2019.

The film, set in the desert of Gujarat's Kutch region, revolves around women's self-expression through the dance form 'garba'.

Shah considered the theme relevant as women continue to face oppression in their daily lives.

The oppression continues, but its forms have changed, he said.

"I have a friend who works in a multinational company and so does her husband. They are a modern, educated couple, who live a good life. However, the man does not allow his wife to put up her picture on social media," he said.

This only goes to show that times have changed but the situation remains the same, he added.

"This is what triggered me to work on 'Hellaro'," Shah said.

"'Hellaro' has given a momentum to Gujarati cinema. We are proud that the film also received a special jury award," he added.

The 13 female actors of the film also won the Special Jury Award for their performances and it was also the first Gujarati film to win the National Award.

Incidentally, the film also invited its share of controversies after an FIR was lodged against its makers, including Shah, for the alleged use of the word "harijan" in a dialogue to refer to a Scheduled Caste character.