Movie Review: Martyrs of Marriage

The Dowry laws of India are being used by angry, gold-digging wives to extort money from their husbands and extended families. These laws have resulted in the arrest of grandmothers, grandfathers, and toddlers alike, who are then subjected to extortion by their tormentor, who promises to withdraw the charges if sufficient money is paid. Many of the targeted husbands are driven to suicide when they face the hopeless tangle of laws and excessive demands of their wives.

Indian filmmaker Deepika Bhardwaj takes a hard, and damning look at the corruption within the legal system -- lawyers often take a cut of the settlement and coach the complainant on how to maximize her "winnings" -- and presents bone-chilling actual footage of the heartless, vindictive behavior of the women who abuse the law for money. The website MartyrsOfMarriage introduces the film as an examination of section 498A of the Indian Penal Code:

In Criminal Law, Blackstone formulation principle states “It is better that