Savita Bhabhi: India Mourns The Death Of First Toon Porn Star

By Kanika Parab

A desperate SOS from a tweeter with thousands of followers went out a few days ago. "Save Savita", it said. Soon, the news was all over the Indian national dailies, which sported dramatic headlines like "Don't Let Savita Die" and "Assassination of Savita", urging the public to file Right to Information Act pleas on Savita's behalf. And when a family member came forward to say that there was no hope, hundreds of R.I.P groups sprung up on online, mourning her death.

The woman in question is no martyr or public figure. She is India's first online comic porn star, banned by the Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of IT and Telecom, for promoting obscenity. Savita Bhabhi -- a curvaceous, sari-clad Indian woman with long, black tresses offset by a line of fiery red vermillion to mark her marriage --was a far cry from the typically prudish Indian housewife, and drew over 60 million users to her online abode every month.

Comic Sutra

Before getting banned, Savita lived in a humble Indian middle class home, prepared breakfast for her husband before he left for work every morning, and waited dutifully for him to return. She was addressed as 'bhabhi' the Indian shorthand for an elder sister-in-law.

But unlike conventional bhabhis, Savita used the time in-between to explore her sexuality. Distant cousins, bra salesmen, old flames, teenage neighbours -- her ravenous appetite spared few. And during the recession when she had to find work, she even had a menage a trios with her boss and a female co-worker!

Hidden in Savita's Sari

Once the media sniffed out this underground project -- it was only a matter of time, considering the site was growing with up to 2 lakh visitors a day and 30,000 email subscribers -- we found out more about the bawdy home-maker. In February this year, she came out of hiding to give an exclusive interview to a Mumbai tabloid. Referring to herself as a "slightly promiscuous bhabhi," she revealed, for the first time, a hint of what everyone was dying to know -- who was behind the desi seductress? "My creator is Deshmukh. It is true that he is located out of India, but I cannot share the exact location as he values his privacy," she'd said

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But then, Puneet Agarwal, a 38 year-old second-gen Indian businessman from the UK, came out to claim the site after the Indian government banned it during the end of last month. He started the online Save Savita Project, but ended it within a few days citing "personal and family issues" as the reason. And just like that, Savita was gone.

Eulogies

The closing down of one of India's most popular websites has prompted eulogies from famous media commentators, feminists and sociologists. Pritish Nandy, writer and film producer wrote in a national daily that "Savita Bhabhi is a symbol of freedom, of empowerment, of the sexuality our women can wield if they are allowed to escape the sham world we Indian men trap them in because of our own fears of sexual inadequacy masquerading as machismo." Adman and TV commentator Suhel Seth, added that "the fact that she was called 'bhabhi' indicates a perverseness that always existed [in India] but we were in denial about." Others, millions of voyeuristic internet fans, are just plain sad that they aren't going to see the frisky homemaker in action.

Exiled, but Not Dead

Internet experts say that the developers can easily change the proxy of the website and make it accessible. In fact, some still claim sightings of Savita on certain sites. We like to believe that Bhabhi is not dead, just exiled, and will be back soon with a new episode that, perhaps, sees her seducing the government?

Read more from Indipepal.com.

Comments

[DrFelch]

This comic was actually sort of quaint for "porn". It was very tame by American standards, really. It was more "erotic fiction" than actual porn, but it was explicit.

[FantasticFourFan]

Does family problems mean the Indian government went after his family? If he doesn't live in the country, I can only assume the only way they could have gone after him was to go after whoever he has still living there. Take it from those of us who live in the American bible belt, enforced morality is no morality at all. If the people of India still want porn, then religious laws aren't going to change that.

[GizmoD10E]

Here's a tip: Move out of India. Come to America and put this porn cartoon online. Make a million dollars. Done deal.

[samjung23]

I know!

[Bub]

America, the land of the wingnuts, can't be trusted. Move to Britain.

[DeSwiss]

The Patriarchy was NOT pleased with Savita Bhabhi.....

[WritusMaximus]

Yup, a culture/anti culture clash.

[AmericanNight]

A cartoon, a porn cartoon nonetheless, hey if you guys and gals are watching porn toons, maybe you need to look into finding something you can actually touch.

[chabnormal]

Supplemental not substitution. Grow up. People are free to do what ever they want. There is nothing in the world, or in heaven, that can take away someone's imagination.

[rf dude]

What is regarded as " pornography " by censors in Indian cinema and television is _extremely_ tame by Western standards.

It is rare to see even a passionate kiss-on-the-lips between leading characters (and don't even _think_ about same-sex relationships on-screen).

So no surprise that Savita-ji really stirred up the hornet's nest with her " unseemly behaviour ".

She will return, tho' - it is the Internet, after all.

Lage raho, Bhabhi-ji!!
--

[Jessica Yao Lee]

actually, have you ever seen Deepa Mehta's "Fire"? Everyone was surprised that one made it through the censors, and when riots broke out over the movie [it was lesbianism], it was resubmitted, and again let through.

[rf dude]

Actually, I have seen "Fire" - and your example makes my point.

By American standards, "Fire" is quite tame - yet the movie was given an "A" (Adult) rating by the board of censors. In the states, it was given a PG-13 rating.

"Kama Sutra", which didn't really cause a stir here in the states, was banned in India while receiving only an "R" here.

So, although Savita Bhabhi might be controversial in India the content is relatively tame, and most western viewers might wonder what the fuss is all about.
--

[Ajita]

The funny thing is that till this ban millions of people (myself included) would have never heard of this character. This move by the Indian government is completely uncalled for and will actually have the reverse effect from what is intended. Free speech cannot be controlled in a democracy and any eforts to suppress it will only backfire. Here's to hundreds more Savitri bhibis popping up online!

[AbsurdHero]

MARTYRED.

[TheNovak]

I just want to say that this quote is the single most striking and well-constructed sentence I may have ever heard:

"Savita Bhabhi is a symbol of freedom, of empowerment, of the sexuality our women can wield if they are allowed to escape the sham world we Indian men trap them in because of our own fears of sexual inadequacy masquerading as machismo."

I want to give Mr. Nandy a high five. And then hide from the mob of outraged Indian jocks.

[cosmicbullfight]

He misplaced a preposition. The sentence is ruined!

I kid. His candour is appreciated, and I am glad someone has cut to the core of why sexual censorship is, in the end, fairly senseless.

[Jessica Yao Lee]

that's a good one

[RJB Boston]

What's with all these inane comments about "so much more important news for Huff to cover?" Are you kidding me?? Have you seen half the stuff Huff writes about - Kate and Jon and their respective affairs, Lindsay Lohan's clothes lying on the street, what the Obama kids wore today etc etc etc? So why make a big deal about an interesting, rather unique story coming out of India?? Or are we saying if its about American non-entities its relevant, but if its about anything originating overseas its a waste of time? Sounds ethnocentric to me.

[mamacat]

An amusing story.

[bismillah001]

Is this supposed to be in any way important? I guess it says a lot about us; we're so aghast/amused that some cheesy pornogaphic cartoon is being shut down, when there are a billion more important issues to discuss. I suppose we would call it 'progress' for other societies to be as unabashedly depraved as we are.

[Harlyridr]

Maybe it is important to someone that's tired of the daily bs coming out of governments headquarters, maybe some are tired of the same old same old and this let's them escape, to each their own A?

[lokipuck]

Thanks for the morality lesson.

[Ajita]

Oh please. The entire entertainment section is filled with garbage and you complain about a story that is about censorship of the internet. Take your prudish morals and shove it.

[bismillah001]

Haan. But this is the world section, bhai. Why so touchy over a bit of hyperbole? :)

I do agree with your assessment of how the Indian gov't handled this. I happen to believe that the attention Huffpo has been giving it, though, is allowing it equally undue attention and overestimating its relevance as a freedom of expression issue in Indian society today. A much more important topic to cover, for instance, would be the gay rights movement or the relative lack of representation and consideration that poor farmers get in Indian politics. Huffpo has run stories on both those issues, to its credit, but the longevity of this story in comparison just seems nutty. But if it is technology-related and allows any sort of reference to Twitter, Huffpo can't seem to get enough of it.

Thanks for provoking a more measured, serious iteration of my original post. Khuda Hafiz~

[ramblingjohnny]

Demonoid still in business and they faced worse than the India censorship am betting Savita is going to be back up and running pretty soon.

[KarateKid]

Sheesh, what's this world coming to?

[schmhatre]

I agree with that guy Michael Mayer who has commented on this one. This story has stayed at a prominent spot on the " World News" page for way too long. It is seriously scary since Huffingtonpost is probably the most prominent brand among the new media. If this is what's going to replace newspapers and broadcast media we are in trouble.

[zukervati]

Totally agree.

[Quelthias]

Censorship is a VERY important topic.

Personally I find it Ironic that the same country which invented the Kama Sutra is now opressive.