Is Indian Cinema sabotaging the stand of Woman? Let’s see through the story of Lipstick Under My Burkha

 

Lipstick Under My Burkha

With the advent of the term “Feminism”, the stakes of the women in our nation is somehow getting its due place up in the male dominated sphere. The major point in the discussion is the very longing fact that, the sexual urge and the visual pleasure is atrociously carried upon the name tag of Women as an object rather than giving them their self-credit, the space that is kept void for years under the sheet of obscenity. We are still on the same road with Bollywood trying to make a difference, the difference in bashing the voice of the so-called feminist ideologist. India is a democratic country with the freedom of speech and expression but the irony speaks itself aloud. Still we have the male gaze right above, suppressing the female flare.

The country is divided harshly into the tone of disrespect, the anguish that persists till the Industry blindfolds itself towards the equality and the liberty. We are fearful or rather we are intentionally driving the sense of misogyny and atrocity through the years, the situation that is evident, little bold you are slammed as a slut, little loud, you are bashed as a weak. The wings are wide spreads for the Male obscure society to torment at the given way. The plethora of sexual delectation is constantly driving the cycle of opprobrium in the stand of Feminism but what if the same had the billboard with the face representing a sound Male weak in its power? The question is still the question but the stereotype and the norms are shifting from the poignant phase to its much self-centered freedom of expression as the Industry looks at the stand of equality and quell dishonor towards the craft in stand.

Female arc is slowly and steadily getting is due credit as the work is respecting the art in common, cinemas are open to female oriented filmmakers and writers rather than actors, due to its wider sense of diversity in storytelling, the voices are able to take their definite momentum through various domains of crafts. One of those vibrant and much stronger example was 2017 Lipstick Under my Burkha, by Alankrita Srivastava, which centered its tone of revelations based on the much relevant phase. It dwelled its line of action through the arc of Four female led character with wider sense of connect with the situation concerned. Smelling the air of Freedom, battling their self-identity in the minimal thought-provoking society was the active stand point for the Filmmaker.

It was loud with its subject of opposing the self of objectifying women in the society with barriers that thrives in the mindset, set in the lanes of Lucknow, it divides itself into four distinctive chapters and the revelations and animosity been constantly driven through the storyline was a distinctive effort by all the Actors but the result wasn’t with the stand of freedom. It was the state of suppression that was active, reflecting the grim reality where the layers of poignancy persist perishing the self-identity of a women. 

If I bifurcate the four chapters which are parallelly driven by the filmmakers, the first part elevates the character perspective of Rehana Abidi (Plabita Borthakur), a teenager with dreams of breaking the cliché stereotype and making her self-identity as the a renowned singer, she is constantly driven by her idol Miley Cyrus, which stands as a point of escape for her, though the opposing force is the religious sentiments, which stands as the distinctive character rather than an element.  She is looking for Freedom of expression through her conquest on the realms of reality with the core emphasis on cultural grounds.

The second chapter unfolds more distinctly, with the emphasis on Leela (Ahana Kumra) and her dreams of her independent business, which is yet a grounded reality which she thrives for, but the underline subject cuts the tone and indeed brings the element of marriage with its utmost revelations. Here the metaphor lies in the subtext of marriage, where the irony of marriage lies in the stand, it’s the door of a new reality but a boon on isolation for the women, nevertheless to mention.

Third Chapter dwells with the grim reality of post marriage, the work ethics which are bashed out by the male superiority, questioning the sense of equality yet again comes the character of Shireen Aslam (Konkona Sen Sharma). She works for a company as a sales agent, she is aware of her Islamic grounds, but has the limits penned by the society, still she fells herself to be financially strong and independent, till the arrival of yet another male dominance, her husband takes her freedom, because he fells ashamed and fearful of her stand in the situation. Here another point is raised about women been treated as a sexual object of pleasure. That’s the male power over the powerless, Is it so? I don’t know but it’s indeed clear that subjugation is prevalent.

The last chapter distinctive in its visual approach, which made rounds of opposition was the character arc of Usha Ji (Ratna Pathak Shah), a widow with the quest of love. She feels her sexuality as the stand and persist her boldness, but the metaphor is age not her urge. Society views the stand as obscenity, which is quite clear and somewhat true. But the earnest perspective from a woman is an answer to the questions of opposition. Her love is tarnished by her family, Why? Because she made the statement loud and clear.

The objectification of women is the common element evident throughout the four chapters, indeed the character talk about their freedom and an alternate world with the respect and taste of duty that they strive for. The perspective is the arousing question, that is the challenge for the nation and which will be in the coming years. Women oriented cinema is constantly been made but are away from the due space, the space of Male gaze. The maker of the movie had to face immense turmoil either from the Censor Board or the Hindutva Samaj Parties with their own set of revolt and resistance and death threats to the makers. Cinema highlights the true color of the nation, if that’s the issue, then the term Cinema is indeed sabotaged. Welcome to the anti-feminist world of sexual pleasure.

Other Articles related to it:

https://mainakmukherjeefilms.blogspot.com/2020/09/unfreedom-review-it-questions-boundary.html

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