Why Dalit author Yashica Dutt called out #MadeInHeaven2 creators
Coming Out As Dalit author Yashica Dutt has called out Made In Heaven makers for using her ideas without her permission in an episode of the show's recently-released second season. The episode—The Heart Skipped a Beat—showcases Radhika Apte as Pallavi Menke, a Dalit writer. While Dutt praised director Neeraj Ghaywan, she criticized producers for portraying "a version of her life" without permission or credit.
Why does this story matter?
The highly-anticipated second installment of Made In Heaven was released on Thursday (August 10), making a splashing comeback after a three-year-long hiatus since the launch of the first installment. The series follows the tumultuous lives of two best friends—Tara Khanna and Karan Mehra—as they navigate challenges to keep their wedding planning venture afloat. Each episode addresses pertinent societal issues that persist in India.
But first, here's what episode 5 is about
In the fifth episode of the Amazon Prime Video series—helmed by Ghaywan—Menke is portrayed as an accomplished Dalit writer who pens a book about her journey of concealing her identity and her eventual decision to embrace it. Despite attaining considerable success, Menke grapples with the challenge of having a Dalit-Buddhist wedding due to her in-laws, who struggle to find peace with her Dalit identity.
Erases my contribution to my own ideas, stated Dutt
On Monday, Dutt posted a clip from the episode featuring a scene showcasing the Dalit-Buddhist wedding. Calling it a "cinematic triumph," the journalist-author, however, emphasized, "The [episode] is stunning in its portrayal of a Dalit woman and her Buddhist inter-caste wedding. It also unfortunately erases my contribution to my own ideas." She further mentioned, "The ideas I cultivated...were taken without permission or credit."
'There were my words, but my name was nowhere'
Dutt also shared her overwhelming feelings about witnessing her own likeness on screen without warning, permission, or credit. Further, Dutt mentioned, "The scene where the Dalit author...talks about how her grandmother 'manually cleaning toilets'...gave me chills." "It was surreal to see a version of my life on screen... But soon the heartbreak set in. They were my words but my name was nowhere."
Dutt requested 'proper credit' from Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti
Dutt concluded by saying, "I request [Ghaywan] and show creators Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti to formally acknowledge my life's work...that contributed to this episode, which is among the most-talked in the entire series." She added viewers should "know its central ideas were not created out of ether, but out of the blood, sweat, and a lifetime of tears of a Dalit woman."
