Divya Dutt's 'Chiraiya' Series Tackles Marital Rape, Invisible Damage, and Indian Law

• Divya Dutt's 'Chiraiya' on JioHotstar explores marital rape through Kamlesh's moral battle to support her sexually abused sister-in-law, Pooja.
• The 6-episode series highlights how social conditioning normalizes marital rape and the difficulty in proving such abuse behind closed doors.
• Psychotherapist Padma Rewari emphasizes the invisible yet deep mental health damage, including anxiety and a fractured sense of self, caused by marital rape.
• As of October 2024, marital rape is not a criminal offense in India under §375 of the IPC (retained in BNS), unless the couple is legally separated.
• The series, set in India's heartland, aims to empower women's 'NO,' similar to 'Pink,' with Divya Dutt's character transforming to support a victim.