Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Hindi Shows Ask Audiences to See Godmen as Sexual Predators
Several Hindi shows and films are telling stories about godmen who may hurt people sexually.
Hunkkaar is about a woman who wants the police to record her complaint against a powerful godman.
She must first convince people that someone they worship could commit a serious crime.
Earlier films often showed fake godmen as funny frauds.
Newer stories show how their holiness and influence can make them dangerous.
Many people watched these stories, suggesting that audiences are willing to consider such accusations.
The article says this does not mean Indians have stopped believing in saints.
People can respect a compassionate spiritual teacher while also questioning a godman accused of abuse.
The main message is that faith should not automatically shield powerful men from investigation.
Hunkkaar: The Roar follows a woman trying to report a powerful godman for sexual assault.
The article traces this wave of Hindi storytelling to Aashram in 2020, followed by films including Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and Maharaj.
These stories depict faith and reverence as barriers that can protect godmen from scrutiny.
Aashram, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, and Maharaj achieved substantial streaming audiences in India.
Hanuman Ansh shows that criticism of predatory godmen can coexist with devotion toward revered saints such as Neem Karoli Baba.
- Who
- Women accusing powerful godmen, the godmen depicted in Hindi films and shows, and the filmmakers and audiences engaging with these stories.
- What
- Hindi entertainment is increasingly portraying godmen as possible sexual predators rather than treating them only as comic frauds.
- When
- The trend began with Aashram in 2020 and continued through 2023, 2024, and the release of Hunkkaar; the article also discusses 2026's Hanuman Ansh.
- Where
- India, particularly within Hindi cinema and streaming entertainment.
- Why
- These stories examine how religious reverence, social influence, and institutional hesitation can make it difficult for women to report alleged sexual violence.
Questioning Spiritual Power
Preserving Faith and Reverence
How godmen are portrayed
Questioning Spiritual Power
Recent Hindi stories ask audiences to accept that a revered godman can also be a sexual predator and show women facing resistance when reporting alleged abuse.
Preserving Faith and Reverence
The article distinguishes criminal or predatory godmen from compassionate spiritual figures and does not present all saints as fraudulent or dangerous.
The role of faith
Questioning Spiritual Power
Religious reverence can protect powerful men by making followers and institutions reluctant to believe accusations against them.
Preserving Faith and Reverence
Faith itself is not presented as the problem; audiences can continue to revere saints such as Neem Karoli Baba while questioning men who misuse spiritual authority.
- Latest title
- Hunkkaar: The Roar, whose trailer shows a woman trying to file a sexual-assault complaint against a powerful godman.
- Trend origin
- The article identifies Aashram, released in 2020, as the beginning of the recent wave.
- Aashram viewership
- The third season drew an estimated 34.3 million viewers in 2022 and was described as the second-most-watched Hindi streaming show that year.
- Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai
- The film focused on a lawyer prosecuting a godman accused of raping a minor and recorded ZEE5's highest film watch-time, according to the article.
- Maharaj viewership
- Maharaj reached an estimated 12.1 million viewers in India and was among the most-watched Hindi streaming films in 2024.
- Hanuman Ansh performance
- Made on a budget of around Rs 2 crore, the film earned nearly Rs 73 crore in India.
- Central argument
- The article says faith remains important, but the men claiming spiritual authority should not be considered beyond suspicion or accountability.