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Alisha Abdullah destroyed the quintessential image of machismo when she became India’s first female super-bike racer.
Racing is in Alisha Abdullah’s genes. Her father, RA Abdullah, is a national champion in bike racing. It is no wonder then, that Alisha won the MRF National Go-Karting Championship when she was only 13 years old.
Alisha went on to try her hand at racing cars where she won the Best Novice award. Later, she switched to racing bikes. Alisha believes in breaking gender boundaries and has no qualms about being in a male-dominated sport.
Alisha is always ready for a challenge. In fact, she is said to have boldly stated, “Whenever someone cites the biological factor, fitness can level the differences. I can perform 40 to 50 push-ups at one go. I challenged a guy to it and won. Women stay weak because they are taught to think they will always be weaker than men. They just have to look at the women athletes to know it is a lie.” Alisha’s love for bikes and racing has also given her an exciting job at the prestigious Harley Davidson as the Sales Manager & Consultant in Tamil Nadu.
Why we find her inspiring:
– For her fearlessness; racing is afterall, quite a risky sport.
– For explosively breaking the myth that women are bad drivers.
– For proving that women can be as capable and as competent as men in any field that they choose to excel in.
*Photo source: Indian Muslim Legends.
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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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