Savita Bhabhi
Savita Bhabhi | |
---|---|
Savita Bhabhi character | |
![]() Savita Bhabhi in Miss India Part 1 | |
First appearance | "The Bra Salesman" |
Created by | Kirtu Puneet Agarwal |
Voiced by | Rozlyn Khan |
In-universe information | |
Full name | Savita Patel |
Nickname | Saavi |
Gender | Female |
Occupation | Housewife, Restaurant owner later in the comics |
Spouse | Ashok Patel |
Significant others | Kunal Uncle, Alex, Shobha, Annie |
Nationality | Indian |
Age | 32 |
Savita Bhabhi is an Indian fictional adult cartoon character, created by Kirtu Comics. The protagonist was promoted mainly through comics. It has since been converted into a subscription-based strip.
History
The character proved controversial in India as soon as it was introduced in 2008 (March 29), due to conservatism present in Indian society. Some critics felt it represented the face of India's new ultra-liberal section.[1][2]
The Savita Bhabhi film was released in May 2013; it deals with the subject of internet censorship in a humorous way with Savita Bhabhi as the heroine who saves the day.[3]
Popularity
BuzzFeed India has attributed the popularity of Savita Bhabhi to three reasons:[4][unreliable source?]
- It is very sexy to see an Indian woman unapologetically going after pleasure within a society which constantly shames women for the pursuit of pleasure.
- She fits the stereotypes of an Indian bhabhi, but she also breaks those stereotypes by indulging in her lust.
- Though she is depicted as an upper-class woman, she pursues sexual relationships with multiple people irrespective of their caste, class or gender.
Controversies
"Wow, India has now joined the elite club of China, Iran, North Korea and suchlike in the area of Internet censorship."
Graphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee on the ban of Savita Bhabhi.[5]
Production of pornography is broadly illegal in India.[6] As a result, the original website was censored by the Indian government under its anti-pornography laws. This was met with criticism from the likes of Indian libertarian blogger and journalist Amit Varma.[7] Eventually, mainstream media columnists joined in criticizing the ban as reflecting a "meddlesome, patriarchal mindset" of a "Net Nanny" government. This resulted in an online movement to save the character from being destroyed.[8]
Initially the creators of the site chose to remain anonymous, going under the assumed collective name Indian Porn Empire.[9] However, in 2009, the creator of the site Puneet Agarwal, a second generation Indian living in the UK revealed his identity in an attempt to fight against the ban. However a month later, due to family pressure he announced his decision to take down the comic strip.[10]
The presence of a character bearing a resemblance to Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan was also met with criticism on Indian television channels.[6]
Adaptations
- The producers of the 2011 Indian comedy film, titled Sheetal Bhabhi.com, have claimed that it draws inspiration from Savita Bhabhi.[11]
- Savita Bhabhi, a film based on the character was released in 2013 by Kirtu.[3][12]
- Sai Tamhankar plays a character based on Savita Bhabhi in Alok Rajwade’s 2020 Indian Marathi-language film Ashleel Udyog Mitra Mandal.[13]
- Savita Bhabhi Videos - In 2022, the team behind the original comics (Kirtu) has launched a new series where they revamped the original cartoons into semi-animated videos with Hindi dubbing.
- Kavita Bhabhi on Ullu OTT platform is inspired from this cartoon.
See also
- Pornography in India
- Censorship in India
- Pornography laws by region
References
- ^ Guha, Anastasia (May 17, 2008). "The Beatitudes Of A Bountiful Bhabhi". Tehelka. Retrieved February 15, 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Mulmi, Amish (June 6, 2009). "Savita Bhabhi is the new face of freedom". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Chaturvedi, Vinita (October 16, 2013). "Savita Bhabhi movie released with English subtitles". Times of India. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ "Why Is India Obsessed With Savita Bhabhi? | BuzzFeed India". YouTube. May 29, 2019. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
- ^ "Govt Bans Popular Toon Porn Site Savitabhabhi.com; Mounting Concern Over Censorship". contentsutra.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ a b Overdorf, Jason (May 4, 2009). "Meet India's first porn star". GlobalPost. Archived from the original on October 9, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ "Savita Bhabhi Fights Censorship". indiauncut.com. July 2, 2009. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ "Save Our Savita Bhabhi". by Venkatesan Vembu, Daily News & Analysis, July 3, 2009. July 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
- ^ Moore, Matthew (September 11, 2008). "Indians hooked on pornographic web comic". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ "Savita Bhabhi's creator decides to end campaign". dnaindia.com. July 13, 2009. Archived from the original on July 16, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
- ^ Nelson, Dean (March 6, 2011). "India's cartoon porn star to become Bollywood film". The Telegraph UK. London. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
- ^ "Savita Bhabhi The Movie – Savita Bhabhi's big screen adventure". YouthTimes. May 6, 2013. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
- ^ "'Ashleel Udyog Mitra Mandal' teaser: Sai Tamhankar gives a sneak peek into her character in the film and it is sure to get you all excited". Times of India. February 14, 2020. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Savita Bhabhi on Twitter