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It is the story of three women Nisha, Shilpa And Devi. Their stories are dealt in separate chapters but they merge in the end like rivers intermingling in the ocean.
“You are adopted.”
These three ominous words are intermingled in the book The forgotten daughter by Renita D’Silva.
Nisha is the cool collected child of two scientists. She is a mathematician and writes down any emotional problem and works on it clinically like her parents for whom showing emotions is difficult. Nishi lives in England. It is when she has an emotional crisis ‘catholic prayers rusty from disuse and held court….surprising she had led them and it had calmed her, for whom not two weeks ago, mathematics the solid rigidity of numbers had been religion.’
Shilpa who has craved for children is willing to go to any sacrifice to have them but her comfort is not science or doctors but a madwoman by the peepul tree. The madwoman has been given A gift from God to see the future. And she just listens to her as the gospel truth. She also writes a diary in which she shares her recipes.
Devi is tempestuous and willing to fight for her rights and not mince words. She rebels in her own way by not wearing the clothes expected of her. Both Shilpa and she then lived in India. Later Devi moves to England.
There are glimpses of our nosy and noisy bustling country. The bonding which can only happen in India between neighbours who are privy to your every secret and yet always there to help you is an example.
The book is about motherhood fragile relationships love between men and women. The different Gods who are equally benevolent whether it is the catholic god of the Hindu God. It is also about destiny the unseen hand which always plays a major role in your life.
The description of India through Nisha’s eyes is lyrical …the jack fruit-scented breeze instructing the coconut tree grinds to bow down and say hello.
Lately one binge-watches web series but after a long time I binged read this book and it was unputdownable.
Image is the cover page of the book
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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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