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Everyone has a personal journey, some take the easy routes, while a few others take roads less travelled. This is the story of a lady's life in Tehran.
Everyone has a personal journey, some take the easy routes, while a few others take roads less travelled. This is the story of a lady’s life in Tehran.
I had recently interviewed a vibrant lady – Ranbir Kaur Sahni, who is a homemaker and took her life’s decision based on her strong belief in destiny. She took the road less travelled. Born during British India in Pakistan, but after partition raised in Delhi, she took a bold decision of getting married and settling down in Tehran, Iran. She moved to Tehran in 1961 at the tender age of twenty-one to start her new life. With her husband, whom she saw for the first time only after marriage, she stepped into the unknown territory with courage and hope.
All her life she invested her time and effort only in one direction – love. It reflected from her sparkling eyes, her rays of love were spread in the whole house and I felt it the moment I stepped in. She welcomed me with a warm hug and gracefully invited me into her contemporarily designed living room overlooking the Burj Khalifa. She was wearing a hint of make-up and was a little nervous.
Tehran in the 1960s, under the rule of Reza Shah, was a modern and cosmopolitan city. Iran was close to becoming a beacon of Western modernity and tolerance.
Ranbirji’s heart is still living somewhere in Tehran. She said that she became friends with the Iranians, their music, their food, their customs and their country. Fluent in Farsi, she said, “I have relished my days in Tehran and my fondest memories are of picnics in Alborz Mountains, stay at a summer house near the beach and trips to the bazaar.”
Her tone became a little naughty when she described, how her husband once surprised her by taking her to a nightclub where Googoosh, a famous female singer was performing. Though she enjoyed the night, later felt guilty and thought that she had committed a crime! Women in those times were fashionable, educated and enjoyed freedom of moving around freely. Clubbing, drinking and nightlife were enjoyed without any restrictions.
Women in those times were fashionable, educated and enjoyed freedom of moving around freely.
She said, “Those were the best days of my life, I didn’t feel that I was not in India. We had a small and friendly Indian community and a Gurudwara.” Life was picture perfect.
Not even in her wildest dreams, she thought that one day she would have to leave Tehran. In 1979, during the Iranian revolution her whole family had to leave overnight for good. They travelled by train to India, through Pakistan. The sadness in her eyes, as we spoke, conveyed that leaving Tehran after twenty long years was so surreal for her; it was like watching a bad dream in slow motion.
“My husband and I still cry whenever we think about our good old days in Tehran. My relatives and friends don’t understand our attachment with that city. My children were born there, they learnt to walk there and we had embraced that land and community.” After a short stay in India, her family has now settled down in Dubai. She admits that these flashes of memories will always be with her and she can do anything to turn back the clock and resettle in Tehran.
A frequent visitor to the Gurudwara, she strongly believes in the power of gratitude. She says that she had never asked or demanded anything from her husband. Currently living an active, fulfilled and a balanced life with her husband, children and grandchildren, she couldn’t stop thanking Babaji (Guru Nanak ji) for everything she has.
What makes Ranbirji different from other women of that time? I think it was her decision to settle outside India, that too in an unknown country like Iran. In those days, such courage was rare and such a decision was not an easy choice.
Image of Ranbir Kaur Sahni provided by her
Meenu believes in enjoying little things in life. Very social but at the same time could sit at home on a weekend and read a book instead! read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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