(Courtesy of Savita Bhabhi)

Meet India's first porn star

DiggThis

A racy cartoon attracts millions and, of course, controversy in conservative circles.

By Jason Overdorf - GlobalPost
Published: May 4, 2009 06:56 ET

NEW DELHI — Thanks to an anonymous group of computer geeks, India's first international Internet porn star is fast becoming this conservative country's answer to Wonder Woman — and Monica Lewinsky.

But here's the trick: The steamy web seductress is a cartoon.

Turning the tables on Bollywood's demure heroines — who've only recently started agreeing to lip-to-lip kisses on screen — “Savita Bhabhi” (or sister-in-law Savita) is a buxom, recently married housewife who knows what she wants and how to get it.

Bored with her workaholic husband, she seduces door-to-door salesmen, neighborhood cricket players, even a not-so-subtle stand-in for the gray-bearded Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan — a move that earned her some flak from Indian entertainment channels.

Though pornography is illegal in India, Savita Bhabhi's sexual misadventures, published on savitabhabhi.com with scripts based on fantasies submitted by fans, have attracted a huge following, according to one of the strip's anonymous creators, who goes by the screen name Deshmukh.

“We get 60 million unique visitors every month. The average time a visitor spends on our site is more than 10 minutes,” the site administrator told GlobalPost by email. “Almost
70 percent of our traffic is from India, while the rest is from the U.S., U.K. and more than 80 other countries.” (Read more about my interview with this secret creator of Savita Bhabhi, here).

Part of the reason for its success is its diversity. With the help of volunteers — recent posts on the Savita Bhabhi fan site read “Urgent! Calling all script writers!” and “We need translators! Are you up for it?” — Savita's creators publish the strip in 10 different Indian languages, along with English.

By all appearances, it's a tough job. In another recent fan post, a user named Srinkar pleads, “If possible, develop your Bengali language up to date, as most of us are eagerly waiting to take the maximum pleasure through the mother tongue.” Indeed.

Comments:

8 Comments.

Login or Register to post comments

Posted by micro.infinity on May 5, 2009 01:46 ET

This site should be banned! It is against Indian Culture! All successful things are not correct.

I think this should be removed from in.com home page! This in.com is a family site and having alexa rank below 1000!. Are these encouraging children and women to visit said site?!

Posted by micro.infinity on May 5, 2009 01:48 ET

our comments are not appearing in the list. Remove this article immediately from in.com. We do not encourage our friends and relative to visit this site too.

Posted by chennairam on May 5, 2009 10:03 ET

What kind of morons are posting the comments. Porn cartoon is "against Indian culture"? Some of these geniuses should read up on India's own culture from Ajanta/Ellora times.

Posted by Free Canada on May 5, 2009 12:40 ET

The image looks artistic to me. To those who argue to the contrary, just google "indian babe" and you will have nothimng to complain about...

Posted by pbalakrishnan on May 7, 2009 13:32 ET

A few things:
(1) I resent Desmukh's comment that it's Indian women's responsibility to "break the shackles" and sexually liberate India. While I don't doubt the abilities of Indian women, I also believe Indian men relieve themselves of responsibility much too often
(2) I would like to echo Chennairam's comment that sex is and always has been a part of Indian culture, it's a fundamental part of human nature.
(3) I believe the more open a culture is to talking about sex openly the better - more opportunity to talk about family planning, STDs, etc.

Full disclosure: I am an NRI woman.

Posted by morriss on August 20, 2009 12:02 ET

thanks,very interesting improve page rank free tv

Posted by nikifrost8 on November 17, 2009 14:00 ET

Yes. Very interesting indeed. I guess there's porn no matter where you go in the world. Yes guys. Let's face it - Sex sells and always will.provillus magic of making up provillus review bowtrol un55b8000 keurig b60 quickbooks pro 2010 garmin 60csx un46b6000 numark ns7 un55b7000

Posted by hotcool147 on January 15, 2010 03:37 ET

guys check this out leaked savitabhabhi comics really cool..

all u have to do is follow

http://twitter.com/leakedsavita to see the latest updates really awesome =)

http://leaked-savitabhabhi.blogspot.com/ check this out...

Recent on India :

Goa rape case threatens India-Russian relations

Sonya Fatah - India - February 5, 2010 09:15 ET

A brutal attack on a 9-year-old girl resonates far beyond the beaches of Goa.

Adventure travel: The Great Himalaya Trail?

Jason Overdorf - India - February 4, 2010 07:11 ET

Why walk Everest, K2, and other mountain giants? Because they are there.

Goa's tourism boss links sexual assaults to bikinis

Jason Overdorf - India - February 1, 2010 06:45 ET

A shocking case provokes outrage. The local government blames swimwear.

Ambulance chasing in Mumbai

Hanna Ingber Win - India - January 30, 2010 09:47 ET

Need to get to the hospital fast? Then don't come here.

Special Report

Thomas Mucha - Commerce - January 28, 2010 17:24 ET

20 correspondents, 20 countries and a world of pain. Meet the ground truth of the global economic crisis.

On Location: New Delhi — The gender gap

Jason Overdorf - India - January 23, 2010 10:38 ET

On Location: Delhi — Psychiatry at the street level

Mark Scheffler - India - January 22, 2010 08:38 ET

Facebook, Orkut and the caste system

Hanna Ingber Win - India - January 21, 2010 06:53 ET

Ancient, meet the modern. How are India's complex social interactions playing out across social media?

India's comics boom: The Pao Collective

Jason Overdorf - India - January 20, 2010 17:09 ET

It may not be Savita Bhabhi, but a group of Indian artists is reinventing the medium.

One man's trash

Mridu Khullar - India - January 19, 2010 14:23 ET

About one percent of Delhi residents scrape by as trash pickers. Now, privatization threatens to leave them even worse off.

Bollywood has a new king

Saritha Rai - India - January 17, 2010 09:20 ET

What makes the blockbuster Bollywood film "3 Idiots" and others so smart? Smart marketing, yaar.

Police shut down Mr. Gay China competition in Beijing

Dinah Gardner - China and its neighbors - January 15, 2010 12:59 ET

Restrictions on homosexuality have relaxed in recent years, but state still keeps a watchful eye.

Opinion: What it means to take a holy dip

Raman Nanda - Worldview - January 15, 2010 06:54 ET

The Kumbh festival along the sacred Ganges river means something different to each of the millions of pilgrims who attend.

India autos: Detroit? Frankfurt? Tokyo? Not anymore.

Saritha Rai - Commerce - January 15, 2010 06:41 ET

New Delhi's auto show illustrates how the global automotive industry has shifted. Big time, yaar.

The secret behind "Avatar" and Twilight's "New Moon"

Jason Overdorf - Commerce - January 12, 2010 06:36 ET

Can you hear the Indian accent behind Hollywood's biggest hits?

Opinion: Raped by the law?

Jason Overdorf - Worldview - January 9, 2010 09:55 ET

A controversial case shakes India's faith in the rule of law.

Mumbai Parsis divided on intermarriage

Hanna Ingber Win - India - January 5, 2010 07:02 ET

With numbers dwindling, young Parsis turn to organized social events to meet, and hopefully marry, others of their cultural group.

India education: Engineering going off the rails?

Shailaja Neelakantan - India - December 28, 2009 06:32 ET

India's bid for full Washington Accord membership, an elite honor, has been postponed again.

How an accused secret agent has tied up India-Pakistan-US relations

Sonya Fatah - India - December 23, 2009 06:51 ET

Since David Coleman Headley was taken into custody, suspicion in India about Pakistan and the US has grown.