Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
A new TV show is trying to mirror the reality of changing attitudes in society. Zindagi Gulzar Hai is a breath of fresh air on Indian Television, says this post.
A new TV show is trying to mirror the reality of changing attitudes in society, and what it means for men and women. Zindagi Gulzar Hai is a breath of fresh air on Indian Television, says this post.
I’m probably the last person on the planet to watch a television soap opera but on the insistence of some friends, I recently checked out a Pakistani romantic drama called Zindagi Gulzar Hai. The series is unlike the run-of-the-mill Indian television shows. Instead, this one was far closer to the truth and surprisingly, also very modern.
Pakistani culture is a lot like our own – and if you think the gap between the rich and the poor is stark in India, it’s several times more across the border. It appears that the wealthy class in Pakistan keeps going off to Dubai for vacations, usually complete their higher education abroad, and young girls make no bones about partying late into the night. This was all quite an eye-opener for someone even as close to the territory as me!
It’s this very liberation of its women – many of whom are shown working, returning to their homes at odd hours, and not feeling the need to be answerable to their families – that seems to irk the men in their lives, and becomes the prime source of conflict in their relationships.
The show addresses this new shift in lifestyle consuming Pakistan’s upper crust currently – and how men and women are coping with the transition. At the same time, it shows the lower class continuing to remain conservative and ‘clinging to their values’ – a character trait that finds favour with the same affluent men who are peeved off with the newfound freedom of their sisters, mothers, and girlfriends.
To some extent, the serial reiterates the cliché propounded time and again in Bollywood films like Cocktail. The simple girl who prays and dresses right (read the ‘good one’) gets the guy in the end, while the forward-looking, freethinking, and unfettered one is the ‘vamp’.
Looks like it will still be some time before these mindsets about women change – and we no longer use such parameters to judge them as human beings.
While most conventional stories end with the girl and the boy getting together and living “happily ever after,” this serial shows a completely different (and perhaps, accurate) side of it all. And that’s exactly what makes it genuine.
Post marriage, the hero and heroine struggle with their very distinct personalities – not to mention, the huge class divide that separates them. The typical man is shown suspicious about his wife’s whereabouts and loyalty, while he still stays in touch with his ex-girlfriend. Common, day-to-day occurrences are narrated, depicting how situations are often perceived dissimilarly by men and women – leading to misunderstandings between couples.
Moreover, it provides insight – suggesting that marriage is no promise of a bed of roses, and needs to be worked on with responsibility and commitment every step of the way. At a time when we are exposed to so much falseness in popular media, a portrayal of such harsh realities comes almost like a breath of fresh air! It’s unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time – let alone on prime-time television.
Overall, Zindagi Gulzar Hai is a bold attempt at baring transforming attitudes in an otherwise regressive society.
Neha Kirpal is the author of "Wanderlust for the Soul," a collection of short stories based on travel in different parts of the world. Neha lives and works in Gurgaon, India. Her hobbies include reading, read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
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.
Please enter your email address