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NAKED: A short film featuring Kalki Koechlin and Ritabhari lays bare all that has gone wrong for women even today. Read more here!
Kalki Koechlin is known for her unconventional choice of work that she chooses to feature in, be it videos, short films or movies. One thing that is always constant in her work is the need to change the status quo, with strong messages for the society at large.
NAKED is another such film which makes us question how ‘progressive’ is the progress that we’ve all come to, and are going towards; especially for women as a marginalised part of society, which is sadly still true. Watch the video below:
The question that comes to my mind, after watching this, is: What exactly has changed from the past to the present? The old problems which seem to have been finished off, are now bigger than ever in another form. The word ‘seem’ is important here because this supposed progress has not been uniform for all women. The biggest example is the prevalence of female foeticide. In a country where we battle problems from both the sides of the timeline, how is it that we will ever manage to build a place that is ‘woke’ and rid of these issues?
NAKED gives us an answer to a small aspect of this question. It tells us to not be ignorant towards what happens on social media as something that is not really happening. With the way social networking has spread like wildfire everywhere, it is disturbing that we still have this skewed sense of ‘alternate-ness’ to whatever that happens online. It is, as is said, the ‘virtual’ world. But what we need to understand is that this virtual world affects real people.
The ripple effect in the case of the internet is only too strong. One tweet can trigger thousands of people. This amount of power, when not taken seriously can be catastrophic in a very insidious way to society and the people that it is composed of. Anything that would be very offensive in real life, for example abusing someone in public or delivering a rape threat can lead to the perpetrator being thrown into prison for harassment. But, when the same thing is tweeted or thrown at someone from behind a computer screen, we simply ignore it because the incident does not have enough gravity in our minds.
If we notice closely, this reaction to anything is what determines whether it becomes a widespread social culture or a taboo. Just because it is on the internet, it does not mean that we let it go. It means, we take out stance even more firmly. A significant part of the propagation of rape culture, revenge porn and the likes, happens on the internet. Imagine a big rally of hooligans creating unrest. Our reaction is to make it stop, instead of letting it be. Why then, are people let go after saying lewd things about women, and other people in general, just because they don’t seem to do ‘physical’ harm?
Stand up for yourself, but without pushing someone else down. Make yourself heard but without making someone else’s voice drown. Our only choice is to make the ripple into a tide that changes the world for good.
New Delhi, India I like to read, write, and talk. A feminist through and through, with a soft spot for chocolate. 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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