Situating abortion: Hindi cinema and the cultural politics of reproductive choice

Abstract

After gaining independence in 1947, India witnessed a high maternal mortality rate due to unsafe and illegal abortions. As a result, the nation introduced the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act in 1971, based on the British statute. Despite its progressive provisions, this Act operates within sociocultural realities that complicate women’s lived experience of reproductive autonomy. Furthermore, the crises of abortion in India go beyond the concerns of availability and accessibility. Indian cinema has sought to examine the changing scenario of abortion in India. Hence, this article, with reference to selected Hindi films (Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Chhorii, and Aitraaz), aims to map how cinematic instances correspond to plausible scenarios that women might encounter in their lived experiences when seeking an abortion in a postcolonial reality. This enquiry helps map out a functional theoretical model of 3Cs (Choice, Compulsion, and Coercion) of abortion that deconstructs the liberal-autonomy models of reproductive choice.