“With Gulabi Gang, change is possible, but it takes a very long process to enjoy the results of that change.” Nishtha Jain, the director, refers to her film Gulabi Gang (2012) and what came after. The screening of Gulabi Gang (2012) in the Retrospective program was held at Gedung ex Bioskop Permata on 6 December 2023 at 13.00 WIB. The film tells the story of the “pink” revolution initiated by Sampat Pal Devi in 2006 in Bundelkhand, a city in India, to oppose the long-entrenched patriarchal system in her homeland. After the screening, the audience had the opportunity to join a Q&A session with the filmmakers. In attendance were director Nishtha and film programmer Sandeep Ray.
On Indian soil, everything is understood and perceived in a manly way. “They (men) give more value to animals, instead of women.” Jain joked ironically, during the Q&A session when the film was over. Departing from the violence received by women, Sampat Pal Devi, mobilized other women in various regions in India to jointly fight injustice.
Gulabi Gang–where gulabi in Indian means pink–creates activities that empower women, especially those who reside in areas that are untouched by exposure to knowledge. “Women in urban areas will find it easier to walk and be independent, but not women in rural areas. They are not allowed to work, they get married at a young age, they have to take care of the family,” says Jain. “Therefore, not only does Gulabi Gang advocate, but it also opens classes and workshops.”
In the filmmaking process, Gulabi Gang (2012) was, for Jain, a film that deeply impacted her emotionally as a woman. She and the film crew did not just observe, but also became fragments of history that recorded various events experienced during the Gulabi Gang’s struggle.
Jain experienced various challenges, but the presentation of Gulabi Gang (2012) to the general public is proof that discourses for the welfare of women have always been, and will always be worthy. Read and witness the realities in other parts of the world, at Festival Film Dokumenter 2023 which will still be held until December 9, 2023.
Covered by Tuffahati Athallah on December 6, 2023.
