Shock activism trending online
Three trending videos and how they have the Web thinking, talking, sharing and reacting
By : sanchita dash
Update: 2014-05-05 23:26 GMT
Hyderabad: For the past week, a video of a group spraying water at men urinating in public has been gathering thousands of views online. That clip, is not alone. There’s another video by a Chennai group that shows a girl frantically calling out for help after being ‘stalked’ by a “boyfriend”. Although, it’s all staged... the video illustrates how long it takes for help to arrive in this country. Then, there’s a short film of a man walking into barber shop that belongs to an individual from another community, and in just under two minutes their friendship turns into a horrifying murder story.
The three videos have accumulated over five lakh views in total and the stats are only going one way — up. Welcome world, to the latest trend of shock activism — find a cause, target your audience, tape your efforts and make your point.
Watch the video: The Pissing Tanker
Chennai’s Awkwardness Unlimited asked its actors to go out into the streets and create havoc. The video, however, shows the very problem NGOs and politicians have been debating over the past several years. People don’t react on time. The clip clearly shows vendors and motorists passing by without as much as a second glance towards the woman screaming for help.
But Bhavjoth Singh Anand, creator of the youtube channel, maintains there was help, albeit delayed. “We have been working on this video for the past four months. Our aim was to actually check how a crowd reacts when they are approached by a girl in trouble. Filmed through hidden cameras, the video shows how two girls are stalked by a man who claims to be a boyfriend. While people did actually come out and help, it took them just too long.”
Bhavjoth though, has made his point. Since the Web picked up the video, the clip has reached (at the time of publishing) a record 1,41,002 views.
“The YouTube culture is not yet very prominent in our country, but it’s growing. We also got a few negative comments about how if we stage such incidents, the next time there is a real situation people won’t come out to help. But what we want to change is the mindset, that’s all.”
Watch the video: Harassing a girl in public (Social Experiment)
Meanwhile, Shlok Sharma’s short film Bombay Mirror, is turning into a Web hit too. Initially planned as a short film for UTV, the short never received a release. Sharma, however, didn’t want to wait and uploaded his creation on YouTube.
The film, starring National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao, shows a man entering a barber shop that belongs to a friend. After witnessing an incident out on the street, that friendship turns into a murder in just three minutes, highlighting how India’s secular fabric is still fragile.
“I just wanted to make a 3-minute film that would stir the conscience of the viewer,” says Sharma, who was not hoping to simply shock the Web. “I can’t deny that the shock value of the film has helped generate such an amazing response to the film. But being able to connect with over three lakh viewers and know their views and opinions was an incredible experience".
Watch the video: Bombay Mirror
"People started watching it, sharing it, discussing and debating it, without the involvement of any PR system, it went viral all off a sudden. I strongly believe that if a film or video carries a social message or thought that the masses can relate to, and it taps the right emotions in people to generate a healthy discussion, it’s definitely a good product. Overall it is the message that’s important,” he says.