Rent a boy friend to cure depression?

'Rent a friend' – popular in China, Japan and even India – was promoted with the objective of hiring people to take to the movies, lunch or a dinner date. Rental girlfriends in China accompany guys on shopping trips and even carry their bags for them if asked to do so. However, the makers of the Rent A Boy Friend (RABF) app (www.rentabf.in), which was launched on Friday in Mumbai and Pune, has a misogynistic approach. Firstly, the initiative doesn't include females because "rent a girl friend sounds weird in India but it's ok abroad," 29-year-old Kaushal Prakash, founder of the app says. Secondly, Prakash says he wouldn't be able to ensure the safety of 'girl friends'. When asked how would he ensure the safety of his employees (boy friends) he says, "What wrong are you trying to prove over here [will happen] to the boy or the girl?" Elaborating further he says, "See in a public place koi batameezi nahi karta(no one will act funny). If a girl is trying to frame him for something there is a red alert on my app and he will be able to get out of there safely."

On the premise of a supposedly noble cause, this interior decorator-turned-entrepreneur hopes to eliminate depression in India by providing everyone with rental boy friends – drawing a line in the logo between the two words so as to put forth an imagery of 'platonic relationships'. "There won't be any sexual relations or private meetings," Prakash asserts. While the founder insists on zero sexual relations on his app, RABF's website showcases profiles of 22-25-year-old 'boy friends' flaunting their six-pack abs, shirtless.

The inspiration for this app stems from Prakash's own experiences, as he claims to be a victim of depression. RABF will have a toll-free number and provide one-on-one "psychiatric consultation" for a brief period of 15-20 minutes for Rs 500. When asked about his call centre filled with "professional psychiatrists," Prakash says it will be easier to speak about these issues over the phone as in India, he feels, visiting a psychiarist elicits the same kind of "log kya kahege (what will people say?)" response as a girl who wears short clothes in public.

(Kaushal Prakash is hopeful to address depression through his app RABF)

Be a boy friend

An app to connect with 'gentlemen', who are also equipped to provide "emotional advice" when solicited. Yet, the men only need to be a 10th or 12th standard pass out to qualify for the job. "I have all A-grade models," Prakash boasts. So to bring you the crème de la crème, RABF hosted online auditions in Mumbai and Pune and shortlisted applicants on the basis of looks and communication skills. After being bagged and groomed by RABF, they were also checked for criminal records. Despite the pageantry, RABF has three types of 'boy friends' much like that of Uber's premium, pool and go experiences. "You can rent a celebrity for Rs 3,000, or a model for up to Rs 2,000, or an aam aadmi (commoner) for just Rs 300-400 per hour," Prakash says, adding that the site works strictly on commission basis, giving 70 per cent of the earning to the boy friends. With a corpus of 65 belonging to the age group of 20-25 years, RABF also has a couple of 55-year-old boy friends in the mix.

For Suraj Dahiya, Rubaru Mr India 2018 winner, being a 'boy friend' will be like helping a cause. "Agar aap kisi ke saath baat kare aur time spend kare aur woh aapko advice aur direction de, toh I think that's a very good cause (If you speak to someone and spend time with them and they give you advice and direction, then I think that's a good cause)." And when it comes to differentiating between his dating and professional life, he says he's not answerable to anyone.

The founder of the app is yet to account for the closeness that comes before opening up to a friend. The app's questionable approach has its founder believing that a boy friend would help in curing depression, which is unheard of till date.

Experts say

"It seems to me like RABF is trying to cover up a racket with a mental health service, which also means they are discounting the 16 years of training some of us mental health experts have to undertake. This is also taking advantage of those who are not fully aware of the impacts of mental health and minimising these issues by claiming that just by talking to a male model, a woman will feel better"
—Dr Rizwana Nulwala, psychotherapist & founder of Mumbai-based clinic Krizalyz

Note: This is an updated version of the story