Dahaad, Kathal, and the Case of the Missing Girls

Dahaad follows a serial killer who targets vulnerable females, but Kathal concentrates on cops looking for missing jackfruits rather than missing girls.Women’s empowerment has been a topic of political debate for decades, and in recent years, popular culture has frequently capitalised on the topic of women. The status of women has improved over time, but unfortunately, not all of the progress and empowerment has reached every woman and girl in our midst. Three recent Hindi films address the issue of missing women and girls in our country. While the films categorise the perpetrators according to their yardsticks, one thread connects them all – the emotional vulnerability of the girls who fall victim to such acts. The missing girls are discussed in Dahaad, Kathal, and The Kerala Story. While one blames our society’s imbalanced caste system, another focuses on a religious viewpoint, and the third simply dismisses the issue of these missing girls.