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Delhi Gangrape Victim Documentary Uploaded Online, Trends On Social Media

You Can't Control The Internet: India's Daughter Is Online And Ruling Social Media
British filmmaker Leslee Udwin addresses a press conference on her documentary film
ASSOCIATED PRESS
British filmmaker Leslee Udwin addresses a press conference on her documentary film

Despite the Modi government's efforts to ban the telecast of India's Daughter, a documentary by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin on Delhi gangrape victim named 'Nirbhaya' by some sections of the media, the film has been uploaded online. On Thursday morning, soon after it was shared widely on Twitter, #IndiasDaughter became the number 1 trending topic worldwide.

The hour-long film, which interviews a number of people connected with the tragic incident including the accused and their lawyers, was banned in India on Wednesday after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament it wouldn't be aired in the country. Besides procuring a restraining order against its telecast from the Delhi High Court, the government also asked the Ministry of External Affairs and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to ensure that the film wouldn't be aired on any platform across the world.

However, on Wednesday night, BBC broadcast India's Daughter while it was approximately 3.30 am Thursday morning in India.

Now, the documentary is also available online and is being widely shared on social media. Several users tweeted out the link as well as their reactions to the film. The response has been extremely polarised. Here are some users who reacted in its favour:

Forget ban, #IndiasDaughter is must watch. Anyone who watches will understand devastation caused by regressive attitudes. Face it. Fix it.

— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) March 5, 2015

Incredibly powerful @BBCStoryville film about the Delhi rape. Well done, BBC.

— Kate Bevan (@katebevan) March 4, 2015

How silly for the Govt to ban the documentary #IndiasDaughter in the era of Youtube!

— हम भारत के लोग (@India_Policy) March 5, 2015

#IndiasDaughter is an anti-rape film, not a we-are-a-nation-of-rapists film.

— Karan Anshuman (@krnx) March 5, 2015

#IndiasDaughter has no preachy voiceover by a foreigner who wanted to demean India. Just has Indian voices. Ends on positive tone

— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) March 5, 2015

But not all reactions were positive. Many expressed their anger with the decision to give Nirbhaya's rapists airtime and the way this would affect people watching the film.

VERY UNFORTUNATELY, a vast majority of India's teeming millions see the documentary as a validation of the rapist's misguided standpoint.

— Roflindian 2.0 (@Roflindian) March 5, 2015

Celebrating International Women's Day or the culprit's callous & criminal mindset? #NirbhayaInsulted#NirbhyaJustice

— Nupur Sharma (@NupurSharmaBJP) March 3, 2015

I'm unfollowing anyone who thinks that the documentary is a good watch or RTs that link. Simply because I don't see how we can be friends.

— R (@mizarcle) March 5, 2015

I think #India has been sensitized enough against rape. I do not think people need any documentary for sensitization. #NirbhayaInsulted

— Nepali Poet (@npPoet) March 5, 2015

While many people expressing their negative impressions of the film used the hashtag #NirbhayaInsulted, many others also used it to counter their views.

Also, this #NirbhayaInsulted tag is a little bizarre. She's not insulted...She's dead! Or did that slip by you? Denial won't change anything

— Ashwin Mushran (@ashwinmushran) March 5, 2015

Because the WORST thing to happen to Nirbhaya was that she was "insulted" #NirbhayaInsulted

— Funtée Mittal (@awryaditi) March 5, 2015

Last checked (on Thursday evening), despite media reports saying that the home ministry had asked for the documentary to be pulled down, it was still being shared and amassing views.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.