Aitraaz To Mimi: Here’s How Hindi Films Portrayed Abortion Over Time

While the death toll from unsafe abortions continues to rise, accounting for nearly 8% of all maternal deaths, Bollywood films have done almost nothing to improve the conversation around pro-choice abortion.

In India, safe abortion has been allowed since 1971 (Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act) in a variety of conditions, including contraceptive failure and rape. Considering the significant need for a dialogue, it has often been observed how popular cinema often shies away from taking a stand on it.

Yes, Bollywood continues to disappoint us when it comes to abortion and reproductive rights. Every now and then a film is released in which the topic of abortion is brought up, and every time a woman chooses not to abort, she is praised and shown as an inspirational character, whereas there are films in which a woman who takes an abortion is shown as an evil character, and it always basically comes down to shaming women. Despite the fact that it is against the law and guidelines to assign personhood to a foetus, Bollywood appears to be deafeningly silent.

Over the years, the treatment of abortion as a subject has definitely improved in Bollywood films.

Hindi Films On Abortion- Here’s How Hindi Films Portrayed Abortion Over Decades:

1. Mimi (2021)

Kriti Sanon in Mimi

Mimi is a Hindi-language comedy-drama film released in India in 2021. Mimi, who aspires to be a Bollywood star and travels to Mumbai to pursue her dreams, lacks the financial means to do so. Mimi becomes pregnant with John and Summer's kid after a successful IVF process for 20 lakh rupees.

A routine check-up a few months later reveals that Mimi's unborn child has Down syndrome. This revelation breaks John and Summer's hearts, and they depart immediately for the United States, telling Mimi that they no longer want the baby and advising her to abort it.

Later, Mimi's (Kriti Sanon) doctor informs her that many couples leave their surrogates, leading to the latter's decision to have an abortion. Abortion may not be an option for Mimi, and the film gives her an extended monologue about how a baby develops within the womb and why abortion, or "killing," the unborn is wrong. However, it also important to note that Sanon's Mimi depicted the plight of a surrogate woman who got attached to the baby in her womb. Some would say, her decision of not aborting the baby was a progressive step.

3. Raazi (2018)

Raazi is a spy thriller film from India that was released in Hindi. Raazi was about 20-year-old Pakistani spy Sehmat Khan (Alia Bhatt), a 20-year-old Pakistani spy who married into a powerful Pakistani family in order to spy for India. Before being transferred to Pakistan, Khan was trained by RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) officers.

When one of the worker, Abdul, learns the truth about her, Sehmat runs him down with a car in order to keep her cover. She suffers a great deal of emotional distress as a result of the incident. When she returns to India after the mission is completed, she learns of her pregnancy says that she cannot commit another murder. Calling abortion a "murder" is definitely a strong statement.

4. Sultan ( 2016)

Sultan is a Hindi-language sports drama film from India. Anushka Sharma plays Arfa Hussein, a professional wrestler who becomes pregnant after her marriage. Her father makes her feel bad and admonishes her. "How are you going to wrestle?" "Will you be able to win gold while pregnant?"  Arfaa shares this belief, claiming that Sultan (Salman Khan) will fulfill her dreams by winning the wrestling match.

5. Teree Sang (2009)

Teree Sang is a Hindi romantic film.  Maahi Puri (Sheena Shahabadi), a 15-year-old girl who is the lone child of a wealthy family becomes friends with Kabir (Ruslaan Mumtaz), a 17-year-old from a lower-middle-class household. Their connection and familiarity deepens with each passing day. The young couple had sex on New Year's Eve while camping, and Maahi became pregnant.

The teenager who barely had any idea about sex or the consequences of having unprotected sex is suddenly shown all motherly and protective about a foetus inside her.

6. Zeher (2005)

Zeher: A Love Story is a mystery thriller film starring Hamita Shetty and Emraan Hashmi that was released in India in the Hindi language. Siddharth Mehra (Emraan Hashmi), a police officer, is married to Shamita Shetty's character, Sonia Mehra, who is a Special Investigating Officer.

Siddharth is a possessive and aggressive Indian male who would rather his wife not be more successful than him. The plot shifts when Siddharth apprehends a drug smuggler and seizes a large sum of money. He became well-known as a supercop. Meanwhile, Sonia becomes pregnant, but she aborts the baby because she wants to pursue her job.

Suggested Reading: Hindi Films On Surrogacy That Should Be On Your Watch List

7. Salaam Namaste (2005)

Salaam Namaste is a romantic comedy film. Nick (Saif Ali Khan) and Ambar (Preity Zinta) are two young and modern Indians who have left their homeland to make a life for themselves in Melbourne, Australia.

The pair fall in love and decide to move in together. A few months later, Ambar discovers she is pregnant. Nick wants to "get rid of it" Ambar wants to get an abortion but refuses to call it "killing". For someone so determined about what she wants and how the foetus inside her is just a part of her body, it felt abrupt when an ultrasound  made her scream "I can't kill it".

 8. Aitraaz (2004)

Priyanka Chopra in Aitraaz

Aitraaz is a romantic thriller courtroom drama, released in Hindi. Sonia Kapoor Roy (Priyanka Chopra) is a driven, ambitious woman and Akshay Kumar's character Raj is often shown as her victim. The couple fall in love and Sonia becomes pregnant. She refuses to accept Raj's marriage proposal and aborts the child. She says that a child will stand in way of her fortune and power. The film's plot turns her into a villain who always has evil intentions at every second of the day.

9. Kya Kehna (2000)

Kya Kehna is a romantic drama film from India. Preity Zinta plays Priya Bakshi, a bright, free-spirited woman. Priya loves Rahul, and the two start dating and have sex, but when they talk of marriage and the future too soon, he mocks her and leaves her. Priya finds out later that she is expecting Rahul's child. Her parents visit Rahul to discuss marriage once more. He recognises that he is the father, but he refuses to marry Priya. Rahul asks her to abort the child but Priya chooses to keep it.