The disturbing reality of grooming in Shyam Benegal’s Bhumika (1977) TW
I recently watched Bhumika, and while it's often discussed as a feminist classic about a woman’s search for identity, I think we need to talk more about the blatant grooming and pedophilia that sets the entire tragic cycle in motion.
Amol Palekar, who plays Smita Patil’s husband, grooms her from childhood. He views her strictly as a "cash cow," recognizing her singing talent early on and positioning himself to exploit it.
The film includes deeply unsettling scenes of a young Usha being chased by her future husband while he "jokingly" asks her if she will marry him—a clear depiction of predatory behavior disguised as play.
Palekar’s character strategically infiltrates the female protagonist’s family, manipulating her so thoroughly that she eventually views him as her only means of escape. In reality, he simply uses her as a meal ticket, even going so far as to impregnate her out of wedlock while she is still underage.
In many films from that era (and even today), an older man "pursuing" a young girl is often scored with lighthearted music or framed as a "persistent lover".. Bhumika is one of the few indian films where pedophilia and grooming is not romanticized