Narrating the story of dowry deaths

A hard hitting short film, Every 68 Minutes showcases the abuse and torment of a young, beautiful, well-qualified and successful wife, leading to depression and ultimately suicide. The film is produced by Lal Bhatia and Imran Zaki under the banner David & Goliath. It stars Adil Hussain and Richa Sharma, who have given praiseworthy performances in the film.

The movie highlights journey of many women who are either murdered or compelled to take their own lives owing to dowry issues. 21 dowry deaths are reported across our country every day and yet, only 35% of those responsible are convicted despite the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961.

The movie tells a story about a girl , who despite begging her father for help was ignored. This is a letter she wrote to her father.

"Papa, your daughter is looking for your support? Ever since a child, I adjusted, I let others needs supersede my own. Before marriage, when I told you that my husband is not worthy of your blessings, you ignored me and still, got me married, and many times since, after I sought your support, you insisted that I stay married by saying these things happen. Like many marriages, my marriage too had ups and downs, and I had resigned my condition as my fate and more importantly, and on many occasions did not inform you of the abuse as I did not want to be a burden on you, so I continued to endure. I tried very hard to make things work. But, despite trying to make things work, after being physically abused, cheated on, mentally tortured, disrespected, living with a drunkard, numerous arguments, it's now has been a number of years of "marriage". Papa, I am fed-up, Papa, I want to be happy. I have left him, as I can't take this abuse and torture anymore. I am not happy, and I seek your emotional and psychological support. I am also leaving because my whole life you were an example of what it means to be a good husband, and when I realized my husband would never even come close, I knew I had to go. You gave your blessing to someone who wasn't worthy of your daughter. I hope we could have done a better job getting to know who my fiancé really was, where he came from, which sets of values he championed. However, now, I am financially independent, I am able to support myself, be comfortable and eventually be happy. And this time. I hope you will not judge me for leaving and would want me to do what I think is best for myself instead of keeping appearances or worrying about any other things. I'm sorry for the worry, heartbreak and stress. I hope you will support me by accepting that I do have a right to protect myself and be happy. Love you forever, Vedehi."

However the support comes really late and the protagonist passes away.

If a few decades ago, India's Third World tag was globally advertised by poverty-stricken faces, filthy streets and power outages that embarrassed many of us both here and abroad – today, it's manifested in the fare this country offers as protection to its women citizens. This tag is not just about how government treat its chosen people but how we choose to live. In India, for the most part, people have simply chosen to outsource that too to God.