A fictional tale based on real life (Sexual harassment)

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A fictional tale based on real life (Sexual harassment) 

In keeping with the classic theme of good versus evil, albeit on a different social platform this time, Star Plus will address the issue of sexual harassment of women in its new daily Kaali — Ek Agnipariksha. Apparently inspired and based on the heart-wrenching story of teenage sportswoman Ruchika Girhotra who was driven to suicide by the powerful ex-senior police officer S P S Rathore, Kaali is the story of a teenage girl who becomes a victim of sexual harassment at the hands of a powerful powerbroker K Thakraal, played by Ashutosh Rana.

Kaali is part of the channel’s new programming policy of airing bolder and thought-provoking, socially-relevant shows. Says Gaurav Banerjee, Star India’s vice president, content strategy, “Kaali will expose viewers to the issue of Indian women increasingly being subjected to sexual harassment.” Denying that it is inspired by or based on the Ruchika-Rathore case, Gaurav says the story is not based on any real-life incident but is inspired by what millions of girls in India face everyday. “The story is purely fictitious,” he insists.

But the similarity can’t be missed, including Rana’s look on the show. Kaali depicts the story of a small town teenage girl, Rachna, who dreams of becoming a badminton star. However, her life is shattered when she is subjected to sexual harassment by the powerful Thakraal. He threatens her but Rachna fights back. The show explores whether she will have the strength to become a courageous woman, a modern Kaali to fight evil. “The story is a classic fight between good and evil. Any similarity with any real-life case is coincidental as such cases are fairly common,” clarifies Nachiket Pantvaidya, managing director, Fox Star Studio India, which is producing the show.

Newcomer Swati Kapoor plays the 15-year-old girl Rachna. Veteran television and film actor Arif Zakaria plays Rachna’s single dad Virendra Mehta, and another newcomer, Neha Sharma, plays Rachna’s cousin and best friend, Anu. Sonali Kulkarni plays Rachna’s deceased mother who appears in flashbacks. “It is a story of the middle class fear of loss of reputation and shame. How one incident traumatises and transforms the passive family to fight the evil force is the show's positive aspect,” says Arif.

Having acted in a show earlier for Star One, Swati is not an absolute newcomer. But Kaali is a major break for her. “Rachna is a positive girl for whom a career in sports is very important. But, taking a stand against a wrong done to her becomes a major issue for her. It is a difficult role for me,” says Swati who hails from Kanpur and has been in Mumbai for the past one year.

Arif also admits that the show’s content is bold so it could disturb a viewer’s comfort zone. “People may get wary of the content. But I hope they watch it because it sends out a positive message,” he says.