Is India's Comic Porn Icon An Evil Temptress Or A Figure Of Emerging Feminism?

“Now you know why I love Savita Bhabhi. She’s Indian. She’s sexy, she knows what she wants, and she wears a sari.” - Pritish Nandy

For a country that’s clearly struggling with its repressed female sexuality, it would appear our search for a champion of the cause might be nearing an end. For all intents and purposes, you should be warned that our final choice may not bode well with the traditional Indian palate for heroines.
However, the more we investigate Savita Bhabhi, an Indian cartoon porn star, the more we’re inclined to believe that she’s everything we’ve been waiting for to break the expected stereotype of the middle-class Indian woman. Issues of morality/ adultery notwithstanding, the sari-clad seductress is not one to let societal expectations stand in the way of her libido. Read on as we dissect her antics from differing viewpoints in an effort to, at the very least, give her some time to shine.

Let’s start with cinema.
Even titillation in an industry, which just might be the most shameless objectifier of the female kind, tends to be a hushed up affair. Cowering behind the the silliest innuendos or the most unrealistic portrayals, only the bolder of the lot tend to foray into the world and more often than not, it’s left up to the adult artists behind Titillation in Indian cinema was always a hushed up affair, left to the bold and the daring, and more often than not, the adult artists and filmmakers. Kanti Shah sprung up at the opportune moment to suit the voyeuristic need, but catered only to the men of our country. Devoid of carnal pleasure, it ran in small cinema rooms situated behind quirky hoardings and called themselves  ‘video centre.’

In mainstream cinema, the female protagonist was never quite in tune with her sexuality either. Not as much as her emotions anyway. That job was left to a ditzy special appearance by a dancer, or item girl (as much as we loathe this expression) who seemed more assertive about herself but would continue to play to the gallery and cater to submissiveness like she would be expected to.

Onwards to society

India as a country plays on a set of dubious moral playgrounds. The man, the provider and the protector, is blessed with a natural libido that must be quenched and sustained on part of his wilful and dutiful wife. The man is always the initiator, the woman, a partaker. Ironically, she must play every role that leads a man to his satisfaction; else she fails her duties as a wife but god forbid she actually enjoy it herself. Though we hate to overstate the obvious, the fact that we’re still embroiled in discussions over the discrepancy of marital rape is only testament to that fact.

We did say dubious

We’re also a country of hypocrites. And just this once, it happens to be in favour of our women. In 2008, despite tall claims of morality, we saw the birth of a porn icon, draped in saree, adorned with bangles and bindi. Savita Bhabhi sprung on the internet, and our collective imagination, as the neglected wife of a workaholic husband, who looked elsewhere to satisfy her wanton needs. It then progressed like any other porn video, with her seducing everyone from teenage boys, to the salesman, with little shame and even less guilt. Styled as an anime, much like Hentai, Savita Bhabhi, was modelled in every way on the quintessential Indian woman, except, she chose to remain unapologetic about her sexual demands. In this way, she added a much-needed freshness to the jaded picture of regressiveness that the Indian woman is expected to conform to.

Started by a UK based businessman Puneet Agrawal, Savita walked into public consciousness garnering much attention as she shattered all the moulds of the supposed morality an Indian woman was supposed to conform to. Though we’re not suggesting that she is necessarily a role model for Indian women (she’s a pretty awful judge of character and has gone as far as to entice teens) the impunity with which she gets what she wants is refreshing on a mass consumption scale. Moreover, it’s the presence of another extreme that creates hope for a middle ground--an environment where woman enjoy the same freedom of sexual expression as men. Without being judged for it.

We weren’t always like this

Since all our leaders love to look to our country’s rich heritage to back their (usually ludicrous) claims, it’s time to cite the Kamasutra. In the ancient book of varied sexual positions, the Indian woman was not always a picture of submissiveness. In fact, the woman given  as much due attention as the man. As advertising graduate Benish Augustine remarks, “If we had to go back to our roots, there was a time when we taught the world how to be sexually liberal. Even before western societies adopted it in their culture. Somewhere along the way, because we distanced ourselves from this heritage and have gone the other way, there is great confusion about sex and sexuality.”

Indeed, India, seems to be in a backward time lapse, of sorts. When the women in the west weren’t allowed to reveal, as much as their hands, we lived in a highly liberalised civilization. Over time, the opposite has taken place in both instances. Our mythological feminine icons, though in many ways portrayed as strong, exceptional women, were in all their largeness devoted to the love of one man. And often, if their loyalty were to ever come into question, they were shunned by the very men who enjoyed their devotion.

American artist Nina Paley even touched upon the issue in her animated retelling Valmiki’s Ramayana from a woman’s perspective--Sita Sings the Blues. In it, she drew a starkly honest picture of how Ram expresses serious doubts concerning Sita’s fidelity during her confinement with Ravana. She ultimately submits to a trial by fire, a test of her purity; upon throwing herself into the flames, she is immediately rescued by the gods, who all proclaim her devotion and fidelity. Still not convinced over a year later, and post her falling pregnant, Ram orders his brother to abandon her in a forest where she still raises her sons to love and praise their absent father, the ultimate figure of ‘purity’ and ‘goodness.’

This is only one example which is, of course, in stark opposition to our male mythological figures, where god-like figures like Krishna’s multiple amorous relationships were spoken about with anything but trepidation.

In search of our true roots

Very gradually, a wider worldview has come into the picture. While still dealing with elements looking to repress young India we’re at a juncture where we find our opinions being constantly questioned, probed, and twisted by the greater influential viewpoint. Due to this, it is more welcoming of the mindset that has society’s greater good in mind. Thanks to a few radical thinkers that have been leading this change upfront, there seems to be a shift in the wavelength. There is absolutely nothing that stops a porn star of Indian roots to try her luck in mainstream Indian cinema and if anything, Sunny Leone has been one of the most searched celebrities on Google. Vidya Balan heaved her way through Dirty Picture, and people not only hooted at the sight, they even bestowed her with the country’s highest award for cinema.

While men view Savita Bhabhi’s indiscretions as kinky, women share a diabolical viewpoint on the topic.

Twenty five year old social media manager, Sneha Sharma, though not a fan of porn, in general, finds the idea of an indian porn icon extremely liberating. “Not looking at it from the moral thresholds of porn, but just the idea that an indian wife is so assertive about what she wants, and is out there demanding it, makes her a very interesting icon from a sociological point of view. Especially when we as women are taught to hold on to whatever it is our husband mets out to us. It’s refreshing to have an icon who holds her own, and goes about, not caring a damn.” 

Of course, the argument about the objectification of porn, and the many vices it glorifies would always come in. Filmmaker Reema Sengupta, for one, is not the least bit swayed by Savita’s antics. “I personally do not find Savita Bhabhi’s character empowering in any way. It is just a woman who is willing to have sex with literally anybody. And from what I remember (I was looking into the comic series as part of research for a film about sexual repression), a lot of the sexual escapades in it start without her consent. Theres always a man who finds her irresistible and touches her inappropriately, which turns her on.She has been portrayed as lacking any moral fibre at all, and it couldn’t be more obvious that it is made to cater only to the fantasies of an Indian MALE. She submitted to sexual advances of literally everybody from servants to lecherous old men! And more often than not, the story featured glorified fantasies of what is basically sexual harassment.”

While discussing the moral ramifications of Savita Bhabhi as such, what is encouraging is the healthy discussion her existence has ignited. As opposed to offended groups demanding her removal, what we have are urban theorists talking about the social consequences of Savita Bhabhi, rather than demanding any sort of action for or against her. But when young thinkers and opinion holders take a few steps ahead, the lawmakers sure attempt to take a step much further back. In 2009, as per the Anti Pornography laws, the website of Savita Bhabhi was banned by the Indian government. It was of course, still available on proxy websites, but a deep sense of double standardness comes to play here. While international porn websites are freely available sans any government control in the country, the attempts made to thwart the survival of an Indian porn star like Savita Bhabhi only goes to show the hypocrisy we live with. Why is it so much more offensive to have a woman of our own nationality emerging as a porn icon as opposed to women from others?

“As a filmmaker, I do believe censorship is wrong. And trying to censor pornography is just hilarious. According to articles, the authorities didn’t make an official statement when banning the site but maintained that it was banned under some act, and was not censorship. Savita Bhabhi did get immensely popular, so it’s not surprising that it came under the government’s radar. But even though they’ve banned that website, I’m pretty sure the content is still freely available online, just maybe under a different name. Whether or not it reflects a jaded mindset, well, in a country where even the words ‘terrorism’ or ‘breast’ are censored on TV without any consideration of context, this is just a rhetorical question,” rues Reema. The entire move leaves with an aftertaste that there exists a hyperactive movement to protect the enshrouded virgin woman image of the indian lady. Much to the chagrin of modern Indian women, and much to the joy of moral charlatans.

The magnanimity of the internet however, has ensured that an unlikely heroine like Savita Bhabhi, neither a celibate nor a maiden virgin, remains anything but.