Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for making two women dance to celebrate their love for a single man. Why not two men dancing for Deepika in Padmaavat?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for making two women dance in his movies to celebrate their love for a single man. Why couldn’t I expect two men doing a similar dance sequence for Deepika in Padmaavat?
Padmavati…Truth or Fiction…the debate rages on.
A big fan of historical stories, I was actually quite excited to learn of Padmavati being made by none other than Sanjay Leela Bhansali. A Bengali by birth I grew up on a liberal dose of Amar Chitra Kathas and of course, Rajkahini by Abanindranath Thakur. The story of Rajput queens always fascinated me. But that wasn’t why I was excited at this ripe age of 40.
You see, I didn’t expect this double standard from Bhansali. Going by his past movie plots I expected another version of the famous ‘Pinga’ dance. After all, isn’t that his signature style? Two women ecstatic about loving the same man. We see the same thing in Devdas also. What more can a wife or a lover want ?
So going by this logic, was it wrong for me to expect the same in Padmaavat? Rana Ratan Singh and Allaudin Khilji must have had a dance sequence. Each man elaborating on what qualities the other has, rejoicing about the fact that the other one loves Padmavati so much!
I was so sad to see that my dream wasn’t fulfilled.
Why God, Why ?
Was this dream too big?
If you think it is, then tell me why do we cheer men’s infidelity on screen? While the wife is shouldering every responsibility at home, the husband presents her with his new wife and she’s dancing in ecstasy! Don’t we realize how ludicrous this is ?
The movie Padmaavat today is opening up debates like ‘there is life after rape’…of course there is!
But where is the debate……’there is the option of walking away after infidelity?’
In our country movies play a pivotal role in shaping our society’s mindset, unfortunately. So the onus is on us to have movies which are not sending out the wrong signals. We are cheering for movies which are supporting the very things that so many people have fought for so long to eradicate.
Top images are stills from the movie, Padmaavat.
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