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I have been called a bossy woman innumerable times in my corporate life! I am still unsure of what the exact definition is that people use to define BOSSY!
Is it someone who dominates, dictates, is overbearing? Well, that’s the dictionary meaning.
In a corporate world and in the sector that I work in, where the ratio of men is higher than women, in a job that is highly demanding, where catching up with last minute deadlines is the routine, where senior leadership’s expectations are sky rocketing, a quiet demeanour and a submissive attitude would not really help get through, will it?
Dealing with stakeholders ranging from vendors to creative agencies, ensuring that ad campaigns are rolled out on time, meeting timelines, strategizing for the next launch and while doing all of these, maintaining ‘regular routine work’ to ensure brand visibility is constantly on the radar, was my life for the last 15 years.
While managing teams with varied sentiments, managing high expectations of all stakeholders and bosses, wearing an overbearing attitude was the only way to get my job done. Sometimes, when timelines got stretched into an infinite delay zone or I had to deal with issues that demanded a tough call, a dictatorial attitude, being extremely demanding and working like a tough task master was the only way to go. Putting my foot down on decisions that were in the best interest of the business, was seen as ‘Bossy’ and demanding! What was often not considered by those fond of tagging me as bossy – there was always someone above me whom I was answerable to at all point in time.
So, yes. I have been Bossy. Because I was a task and result oriented person with a focus on timelines and precision delivery. I really cannot make a judgement about whether being Bossy is a good or a bad thing. However, when there is demand and expectation and a need to work with a varied set of human resources and deliver to a kind of standard that is set as the benchmark in the industry, it is only the attitude that makes you stand out and shine bright from others. This attitude of mine may have not gone down well with many, but at the end of the day, where I stand in terms of my work and contribution really matters more than anything else.
To all those women who has been termed as Bossy, you need to know that its society’s way of saying you are extremely capable, ambitious, task oriented, know your job, know how to get it done, and most importantly, you know how to get it done while carrying a no-nonsense attitude!
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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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