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Kahaani. The woman centric thriller about a smart woman outwitting others. Use our cue from it to write your story for Muse of the Month April 2017.
In 2016, we had a very successful Muse of the Month series that culminated in a published book (titled Kunti’s Confessions & Other Short Stories) with the top 15 stories of the year. Every month, a cue was given from a contemporary Indian woman writer, and 5 winning stories were published. From these winners, the 15 final stories were chosen for publication in the book, and they are all examples of superlative fiction, of the raw, untapped talent that we have among us. The book is currently available in both print and in e-book format.
In 2017, we come back with a new Muse of the Month series, one with a contemporary twist. Instead of giving you a cue from a book, your cue will be from a feminist movie – either Bollywood or Hollywood.
That sounds very refreshing, doesn’t it? So let us look at the rules and the other stuff first, before getting on to our cue.
Step 1. Watch the GIF/video clip embedded, and get inspired.
Step 2. Write your own story/poem/narrative/essay/piece based on the cue. This might not have anything to do with the actual movie clip used, or the actors in it. (And the ‘story’ can be fictional – or not – as you wish).
Step 3. Send your work to us. Please email it to [email protected] with ‘Muse of the month – April 2017’ in the subject line, and your story as a word/txt attachment. Do include the name we should use if we publish it, and a brief introduction of yourself (2-3 lines) in the mail.
Please note: Given the number of entries received, we won’t be able to respond to each one, but every single entry is being read through very carefully and is much appreciated.
Please send in your stories by Monday, 17th April, 3 p.m. IST. The 5 best stories will be published on Women’s Web between the 24th to 28th of April, one on each day.
The material should be previously unpublished elsewhere. (Copyright stays with you and you’re free to subsequently publish it elsewhere).
Keep it between 250 and 2000 words. (Please keep this in mind; in past editions, we have had to disqualify some good entries purely due to word count issues).
Please avoid typing the story as inline text. Send it as an attachment only.
The 5 best entries will each win an Amazon voucher worth Rs 250. Plus, the winner automatically qualifies to compete to be one of the top few winners at the end of 2017!
In our cue for this month, the cop, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, tells Vidya Balan that she should wind up what she is doing and go back. To which she politely replies that she does not need to be told what she should or should not do.
via GIPHY
Do not forget to send in your entries by Monday, 17th April, 3 p.m. IST.
Image source: youtube
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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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