Ghotul: A film about love, intimacy, and positive masculinity through tribal wisdom

‘Ghotul,’ a powerful short film that draws on indigenous Gond traditions to reimagine conversations around gender, sexuality, and equality for adolescents. The film aims to challenge taboos, inspire a dialogue, and affirm every girl’s right to bodily autonomy, choice, and dignity.

Each year, 21 million girls around the world become pregnant, with over 11 million in India alone. And every week globally, 4,000 adolescent girls are infected with HIV. Despite these staggering realities, conversations around sexuality remain muted, and young girls continue to suffer from a lack of safe spaces, information, and agency. The result is a cycle of early marriage, intimate partner violence, and limited opportunities for education and work.

This film is inspired by the Gond Muria tradition of “Ghotuls,” which are communal learning spaces where elders guide adolescents in open discussions about love, intimacy, and responsibility. Far from being taboo, these practices are an example of egalitarian values that help young people handle desire with dignity and awareness.

The story, ‘Ghotul,’ has been written by Shruti Johri, a published author and a gender and inclusion practitioner. Shashanka ‘Bob’ Chaturvedi from Good Morning Films directed the 12-minute feature, which was the brainchild of advertising executive and feminist, Swati Bhattacharya, while the cinematography is by award-winning director of photography Tassaduq Hussain, known for his work on Omkara and Kaminey. The film stars Indira Tiwari, acclaimed for her roles in Serious Men and Gangubai Kathiawadi, alongside rising artist Puja Kulay.

Speaking about the film, Swati Bhattacharya, advertising executive and mastermind of the project, said, “In the tribal wisdom, elders spoke freely with adolescents about love, desire, and growing bodies, not to shame them, but to guide them,” said Swati Bhattacharya. “Today, when young children often turn to the internet for answers, Ghotul reminds us of the need to bring those honest, caring conversations back into our homes.”

The film, ‘Ghotul’, has already garnered support from leading cultural figures.