That Day After Everyday review: Rooted in realities of eve-teasing

3.5/5

What’s it about:

Directed by Anurag Kashyap, That Day After Everyday deals with the concept of eve-teasing. The short film revolves around Radhika Apte, Sandhya Mridul and Geetanjali Thapa and the harassment they face every day at multiple locations. However, the trio decides to take matters into their own hands and put an end to their helplessness.

What’s hot:

The film sheds light on the harassment women are subjected to on a daily basis. We witness the women’s families cautioning them about venturing out. We also see a man telling his wife not to interact with men who make her uncomfortable on the streets but ignore them. This is a common occurrence in Indian households and the film captures it realistically.

The film also takes viewers through a day in the life of a woman in India. It portrays the way they are harassed on the bus, at work and on the streets among other places. The instances shown are also realistic and unfortunately, relatable to most of the women in the country.

Towards the end of the film, we witness the women take control of their safety and not succumb to their harassers. We also see the sudden change in the attitude of the man who earlier cautioned his wife against standing up for herself. He is proud of her for the step she took and also makes tea for her, a rare sight in the household.

What’s not:

In the film, we see the three women attend what seems like a self-defence class. Although this is a good thing, the film does not question the predatory behaviour on the part of the men but puts the onus on women to be well-equipped to fight off the danger.

We also witness a woman say that it is essential to have a strong mind to combat eve-teasing. This, however, seems rather problematic. Therefore, the takeaway from the short film is that women should be prepared to protect themselves from sexual harassment. Instead, it would have been better if it tried to highlight that men should not eve-tease and should respect women’s personal space and privacy.

The film could also be triggering to some, and if so, should be avoided.

Verdict:

The representation of the menace of eve-teasing in the film is spot-on. It is rooted in reality and portrays the raw emotions one goes through when experiencing it. One must watch the film to get a sneak-peek into the life of a woman and walk a mile in her shoes.