Aashram (TV Series 2020) - Plot Summary - IMDb

Bollywood: This Aashram sees it all! - Mumbai Mirror (indiatimes.com)

'Aashram' series review: An effective but conflicting commentary on the failings of faith- The New
Indian Express

Amazing Life Lessons Learnt From Web Series Aashram, Depicts A True Story About India & Indians -
Inventiva

Sexual objectification - Wikipedia

Aaditi Pohankar opens up about her character in 'Aashram: Chapter 2': She is a brave girl, a wrestler
who has become a victim of her own belief - Times of India (indiatimes.com)

Aashram - Season 1 - IMDb

THIS AASHRAM SEES IT ALL!
From exploitation of women to mass castration — this narrative brings alive the dark
underbelly of the aashram
Based in the fictional city of Kashipur, is an empire created by a self-proclaimed Godman
- Kashipur waale Baba Nirala, who derives his power from the influence he has over the
lower strata of the society. He has often stood for them and they consider him to be their
Messiah. A lower caste girl Pammi, is drawn into his devotion as he comes to her rescue.
The sudden resurfacing of a skeleton in the adjacent forest land, disrupts the peace of the
city in the crucial times of the upcoming state elections and all the links of the
investigation mysteriously point towards one place - THE AASHRAM. As the true face
of Kashipur waale Baba Nirala unfurls, various hidden dark secrets of Aashram are
discovered by the Sub-inspector Ujagar Singh and constable Sadhu. On the other hand, by
roping in a famous pop-star Tinka Singh, Baba rises as the icon of the youth. With this
rising popularity and fame, Baba becomes the center of attraction for both political
candidates who are contesting for the upcoming state elections. Pammi, who has turned
into a blind devotee of Baba, continues to flourish inside the Aashram. How far will her
blind faith for Baba sustain? After all, behind his holy image of a messiah, lies the true
monster, who exploits young girls. Will Pammi's fate be any different from all the other
girls who fell victim to this deep nexus?
A duplicitous, aashram based, Indian Godman's good deeds serve activities criminal and unholy, such
as rapes, murders, drugs, vote bank politics and forced male emasculation. The law and a few
crusaders investigate to bring him to account.

FACTORS HIGHLIGHTED
Baba Nirala is a god-man who helps thepoor and the needy. His ashram houses a school, a
college, a hospital, a sports training institute and an old-age home and finances many
factories where his devotees work and earn a good living. To the outside world, the baba’s
ashram is like a dreamy la-la land for his devotees, but only few are aware of what is going
on inside because the ashram is also a fortress where once you get in there is no way out.

Sexual objectification
Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person solely as an object of sexual
desire. Objectification more broadly means treating a person as a commodity or an object without
any regard to their dignity and is a type of dehumanization.
The theme of systematic abuse of women and the tactics administered to prevent them
from speaking up is amazingly portrayed in this series. Baba Nirala used to drug women
he desired by offering them prasad and used to take advantage of their unconsciousness
and rape them. If anyone tried to raise their voice against it, either their families were
threatened to be killed or they killed the girls who went against baba. The women in the
aashram had no control over their own body and had lost their voice. They were
completely subordinated and sometimes imprisonedand tortured if they went against
baba.
In the series after having wrestled with Pammi, she becomes the object of Baba Nirala's
next obsession. Next day, Pammi wakes up in pain and withers knowing that she has
been molested, unaware of the fact that her molester is none other than baba himself.
 She later realises that Bhopa is behind her father's accident and he has done it so that
she keeps quiet about Baba Nirala's real intentions. Pammi is also upset with Babita and
confronts her about not telling her the truth of Baba Nirala.
Aashram adopts a piercing male gaze when it comes to the depiction of its women,
even those in the position of power. It brings in Esha Gupta, who plays an
internationally-renowned publicist and brand consultant. Aashram chooses to
introduce her with a seductive dance sequence. Some might say there was a need for
that sequence in the plot but what it essentially does is reduce a successful, powerful
female character to an object of sexual interest, dancing for a more powerful male
character.
Sex Rackets

The web series aashram is not the series that show this alone, there are
many other movies and series like Mirzapur, Sacred Games that objectifies
the women as a sex object who can be used by the people who have power
as per their will and needs.
Godmen and babas even sell women to different people to earn a profit
once they are done with those women. 
No matter how educated a person becomes, in the name of belief and
religion these babas will keep exploiting the women and keep them
harassing as per their requirements but in the end, if a woman decides she
needs to get it done and over with, she becomes unstoppable!

forced male emasculation

Enamoured by this world and its offering, no one is spared with able-bodied young men
being asked to undergo a “shuddhikaran” under the garb of achieving nirvana and letting go
of unwanted desires. This track is seen when Babita (Tridha Choudhury) is married to
Pammi’s brother Satti (Tushar Pandey) in a community marriage organised by the aashram
and the duo starts to fall in love with each other. However, her dreams of being happily
married are shattered when she learns that Satti was castrated at the behest of Babaji, so that
Babita can pleasure him instead. Reflecting the harsh realities of many self-proclaimed
godmen, who not only emotionally cripple their followers but also exploit the vulnerable
physically for their own ulterior motives wherein he drugs some of his followers and forces
them to undergo a “purification” process. 

ROLE OF PAMMI AS THE VOICE OF WOMEN

She is a brave girl, a wrestler who has

become a victim of her own belief
Pammi, a strong, young lady wrestler who dreamt big and refused to bow
đown to the patriarchal and unjust ways of society.
Part one of this crime drama saw her idolising the charismatic Kashipur
Waale Baba Nirala, who enters her life when she feels all is lost. His strength
and his protection give her reason to live again, and an otherwise clear-
headed girl suddenly decides to drop everything and dedicate herself to
Babaji and his Aashram.

But with multiple allegations and fingers being raised on the safe haven she
now considers home, she finds herself defending the man who she believes
can do no wrong.

Aashram Chapter 2 – The Dark Side will see her engulfed by the wrongdoings
in this sinister sanctuary, leaving her confused and questioning her own self,
as well as the unshakable faith she has in the self-proclaimed Baba Nirala.

She is a brave girl, a wrestler who has become a victim of her own belief.
Pammi gave me a chance to express my anger towards such people who
exploit the vulnerable and rob them of their faith in humanity."
Pammi is a headstrong, goal-oriented young girl who isn't afraid to dream big despite the
limitations imposed by society. She is undaunted by the system and constantly challenges
stereotypes with the belief that honesty and sincerity will always win. Circumstances see her
losing all faith and hope which is when Kashipur wale Baba Nirala enters her life like a
'Maseeha'. Pammi is immediately drawn into his devotion. Inspite of facing objection from
her family she decides to become a Sadhvi and eventually succeeds in getting Baba's
permission to stay in Ashram.