While the lockdown in many countries has helped curb the spread of coronavirus, it has given rise to yet another problem. According to reports, there has been a steep rise in cases of domestic violence, not just in India but all over the world following the lockdown
In an effort to join forces for an all-encompassing campaign to combat and address the problem of domestic violence and mental health issues during the lockdown, Hindi film artistes have asked their fans not to tolerate any form of abuse.
The campaign, headlined by actress Richa Chadha and other celebrities like Kalki Koechlin, Amyra Dastur, Mallika Dua, Pulkit Samrat, Adil Hussain and Prathana Behare, is spreading the message of peace and gender parity during this lockdown through a video put together by Women in Films and Television India (WIFT).
Talking about the video, Chadha said, "The agenda of the video was to highlight the emotional stress people are going through and how that often leads to several things, including domestic violence. This is a problem across the world and a campaign like this effectively speaks to a wide audience. Women could possibly be trapped and locked down at home, unable to muster the courage to report crimes against them. The elderly could be feeling particularly hopeless in such a situation. We urge anyone going through trauma to take to counseling on the helpline numbers available.”
In the video, we see artistes speak about how they have divided the chores of the house between themselves and their partners. For instance, Koechlin can be seen talking about how she made breakfast while her partner took their dog for a walk, while Hussain, speaking in his native Assamese, talks about how he enjoys cooking.