Marriage Cops

Marriage Cop is a feature-length documentary that examines the state of marriage and family relationships in contemporary India through the eyes of a police officer whose assigned duty is to help settle marital disputes at the Women’s Help Desk in Dehradun. A counterpoint is provided by the stories of the women who go to the Help Desk seeking relief from domestic troubles -abusive spouses, deadbeat dads, and interfering mothers-in-law- the Help Desk sees it all. Will these women resolve their marital woes or will they wind up in divorce court? The first question that Marriage Cop raises is “Why are people going to the police for marriage counseling?”. But perhaps a better question is “Why do women want this?” The story of The Help Desk will challenge audiences′ preconceived notions -about India, about domestic violence, gender roles, and about the very notions of marriage- and what it means to help.