From Mother India To Parched: Women in Indian Cinema
Simantini Sarkar
Cinema, as is well known, is not only a medium of mass entertainment. It is a media of mass consumption which shapes our opinions, beliefs, concepts, and reasoning. It won’t be far-fetched to say that cinema even helps mould our individual personalities. This source of entertainment has been a mirror of society, as well. With time, the changing world has been reflected in cinema across the world and directors have tried to shape opinions, and considered it as a challenge. As American director and screenwriter Sam Fuller once said, “ Film is a battleground.”
Indian Cinema
Before proceeding with the changes, effects and social utility of it, we must first understand the importance of Indian cinema. It is screened worldwide and watched by billions. According to records, the Indian film industry is considered to be the largest in the world with approximately 1000 films produced every year in more that 20 languages.
From single theatres to multiplex ages, Indian cinema has witnessed a series of transformations. Over the past decades, it has gone through a metamorphosis in its portrayal of women. In a world controlled by men and patriarchy is so deeply absorbed that we fail to even recognise its influence on our everyday lives, the purpose of unmediated representation of women is indispensable.
Not that women centric films were non existent before, but undoubtedly, they were scarce and limited. A notable one among these was Mehboob Khan’s ‘Mother India’ (1957). Released ten years after independence, it has stood the test of time and like poet Javed Akhtar said in an interview, “Doubtless, the history of Indian cinema cannot be complete without this timeless classic. Its characters are so dramatic and the situations so grand, be it the tragedy, the drama, the vendetta or the sacrifice. Everything is so real and at the same time, larger than life.”
It tells the story of India in the aftermath of independence and the protagonist Radha, as a symbol of women empowerment. Though debatable, Mehboob Khan’s ‘Mother India’ must be considered significant as an early venture into the realm of women-centric cinema. With increased manifestations within feminism and rising concerns about the position of women in society, attempts to make films revolving around women or with female protagonists have obviously multiplied.
We today witness a number of remarkable films oriented around the relationships, desire, psychological intricacies and the subjective experiences of women. However, though many of these claim to be “feminist”, only some, like Leena Yadav’s masterpiece ‘Parched’ (2016) have lived up to the standard. Set in a desert village of Rajasthan, it is a tale of four women breaking free from the clutches of sordid traditions and evils of a patriarchal society, and discovering themselves in the process. ‘Parched’ shows a society plagued by age-old traditions of patriarchy, child marriage, dowry, marital rape , abuse, abusive husbands, stigma attached to being a widow, harassment of sex workers, guilt and pain of not bearing a child. It is a journey from oppression to liberation, taking charge of their own fate by deciding not to conform to the subjugations of a male dominated world, discovering the pleasures of their sexualities in the course of the movie. Those who talk about the feminist approach in Bollywood, referring to films like ‘Veere Di Wedding’ (2018), must watch such ones to rethink their positions.
Another Indian director who broke away from the convention of stereotyping or objectifying women is Shyam Benegal, with his movies – ‘Mandi’ (1983), ‘Mammo’ (1994), ‘Sardari Begum’ (1996) and more.
Yet another impressive mention can be Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Thappad’, released this year. It makes you question the misogyny embedded in our everyday lives; they are so regular that they start seeming normal and hence, we submit without questioning them. Amrita, a dedicated home maker, apparently very content with her married life, has a sudden epiphany when her loving husband slaps her at a party out of rage concerning his work life. The film questions the deep rooted patriarchy and marital norms that we are expected to comply with.
Shifting our attention from the spectrum of Bollywood, let us focus on the world of Bengali cinema, which has contributed to the genre of women-centric films in a large way. A name that remains a staple in this is that of director-actor Aparna Sen’s. Sen’s cinema questions the identity of women in our society. ‘Paroma’ (1984), ‘36 Chowringhee Lane’ ( 1981), ‘Sati’ (1989), ‘Paromitar Ek Din’ (2000) are worth mentioning.
‘Sati’ is about a speech-impaired orphan girl, Uma, who lives at the mercy of her uncle. Set in the 19th century Bengal, the film is a tale of exploitation and a society dimmed with superstitions. It represents a society where women are mute and treated as ‘subalterns’. Amid the exploitation and abuse she has to face because of her condition, Sen triumphs to secure a space for the expression of Uma’s anger, desires experienced by a girl her age and her ability to nurture. Her relationship with nature, her sexual awakening and desperate step for carnal gratification, frustration, anguish portrayed through eloquent eyes and body language , makes ‘Sati’ a heart-wrenching watch.
‘Paromitar Ek Din’, another of her memorable works, explores the stereotyped relationship of daughters and mother-in-laws in Indian society. Breaking away from the prejudiced and one dimensional equation of it, Sen attempts to navigate the friendship and intricacies of it. She portrays an unusual bond between Paromita (daughter) and Sanaka ( mother-in-law), transcending the barrier of age and circumstance. The suppressed sexual desire, lack of self expression in a society where assertion of sexuality is considered a taboo, make them more intimate as they find solace confiding in each other. ‘Paromitar Ek Din’ can be considered a study of female subjectivity and women finding solidarity in the company of each other in an oppressive society.
Sexism prevails as a curse to the industry outside the plots of cinema as well. Aparna Sen herself said in an interview, “there’s a men’s club where a man can go up to a male producer and say, ‘Let’s meet over a beer’, and clinch a deal. But if a woman does that, it will be taken as a sexual advance. Nobody can take a woman for granted in the industry if she knows her job well. When I entered filmmaking, I didn’t even know what lens to use so I used to ask the cameraman to show me all. All I knew was the picture I wanted, and I approached the challenge as a student. I took the cameraman’s help and learnt my way through.”
What is hopeful is that for every ‘Kabir Singh’ (2019), a film which seeks to romanticise misogyny and celebrate toxic male characters, there is a ‘Parched’ or a ‘Thappad’ in Indian cinema.
Simantini Sarkar is a student at Bethune College, Kolkata.
Featured Image: Courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival
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