Skip To Content

    This Fashion Photo Shoot Depicts An Indian Woman Being Abused By Several Men On A Bus

    "It is not based on Nirbhaya," photographer Raj Shetye told BuzzFeed.

    Mumbai-based fashion photographer Raj Shetye released his photo series The Wrong Turn last week. It depicts a lone Indian woman surrounded by men on a bus, fending off their advances.

    "It is not based on Nirbhaya," Shetye told BuzzFeed in a phone call, when asked if this series was meant to depict the December 2012 New Delhi gang rape.

    "This is in no way meant to glamorize the act, which was very bad," Shetye told BuzzFeed. "It's just a way of throwing light on it."

    "The message I would like to give is that it doesn't matter who the girl is," he said. "It doesn't depend on which class she belonged in — it can happen to anyone."

    Several people have pointed out — and are outraged by — the images' thematic similarities to the Nirbhaya case:

    Did i just see a fashion-spread depicting the Delhi gangrape of Nirbhaya? Disgusting!I hope all associated, die of shame! Insensitive swine!

    No dearth of morons, a fashion photo shoot 'inspired' by the Nirbhaya gang rape.How seriously we take rape & human dignity in this country.

    They designed a fashion photo shoot along the Nirbhaya case. Extremely insensitive & sickening. https://t.co/Igu6BSmiTa (Via @jimanish)

    This is a screenshot of the comment thread under photographer Fabien Charuau's Facebook post about The Wrong Turn.

    Shetye allegedly defended himself against critics in this Facebook comment:

    This is the official explanation by the photographer of the Nirbhaya shoot (Raj Shetye) as sent to a friend on FB.

    But nearly nobody's buying it:

    Photographer: "Hey guys, I don't think anyone paid attention to the Nirbhaya case. Let's do a photo shoot and glamourize the whole thing!"

    Inspired by (read mocking)Nirbhaya gang rape case. http://t.co/bfFCDML4Wd Cant blv ppl r glamorising the horrific rape case n calling it HOT

    The most ridiculous thing I saw today. A #Nirbhaya inspired photo shoot done in back of a bus. https://t.co/IXBwlANRcr #disgusted via FB

    A Nirbhaya-inspired fashion shoot? Have we finished out-raging about this? Am I too late? WHO DOES A GANG-RAPE IN A BUS THEME FOR A SHOOT?

    Some people don't care either way:

    Screw perspective. Even if they claim it's not inspired by the Nirbhaya bus rape, I don't see the beauty https://t.co/AhQu2HFmqu

    And a lot of people are talking about it:

    'nirbhaya' is now trending in #Mumbai http://t.co/SGugy0qEZW

    When asked about such reactions, Shetye told BuzzFeed that he just feels satisfied to have started a conversation.

    The pictures were originally posted on Shetye's Behance page, but appear to have since been taken down.