Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
The movie 'Parched' revolves around the lives, of four women chained by old-traditions. This promising movie, is all set to release on September 23. Read on.
The movie ‘Parched’ revolves around the lives, of four ordinary women chained by old-traditions. This promising movie, is all set to release on September 23. Read on.
The last time, I watched a Bollywood movie depicting the true life of an Indian woman in rural India, was Dor. The movie beautifully captures the raw emotions of two women, connected by a twist of fate. A bond develops between the two as one of them helps the other, discover her freedom from patriarchy.
When I saw the trailer of Parched, it reminded me of Dor. The movie, written and directed by Leena Yadav and produced by Ajay Devgan is expected to release in India on September 23rd.
The story is set in the village of Ujhaas, in North Western India. It revolves around three central characters – Rani (Tannishtha Chatterjee), Lajjo (Radhika Apte) and Bijli (Surveen Chawla). Rani is a young widow, a prospective mother- in-law arranging her son’s marriage. Lajjo is a woman allegedly infertile, regularly abused by her cruel husband. Bijli is a dancer / sex worker catering to the needs of hypocritical, unfaithful men. While these women struggle to survive in a patriarchal society, they find solace and strength in each other’s company.
The movie highlights prevalent issues such as dowry, physical violence, forced marriages, prostitution, marital rape, and abuse against women. “This film isn’t about women only, but also about the men… where both are victims. It is the society pressure which forces men to do things apart from the mindset. So, this film talks about tackling both the issues”, says Ajay Devgan.
Director Yadav has also shared her experience during the making of the film, “What I found was that women there talk freely about sex. I traveled to Kutch where I had random conversations with women. This film has been a process of discovering for me. I now realise that societies have learned to cover things up. So at one level, they might think they are progressive, but at a base level, nothing has changed and that is so scary.”
The movie has already received accolades at international film festivals. Incidentally, the movie has been in news recently because of an intimate scene involving Radhika Apte and Adil Hussain, the video of which has been viral on the internet.
The trailer of the movie looks quite promising. It is refreshing to see more female directors in Bollywood, and movies with women-centric themes. The treatment of social issues, from a woman’s perspective would be something interesting to watch. We are certainly parched of sensible cinema!
Image Source: Youtube
I like to write about the problems that have plagued the Indian society. I feel that the concept of gender equality is still alien , and that has been the focus of my articles and posts. 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