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A mother looks at her daughter, so carefree, and wants to protect her from a world in which girls' and women's laughter is looked at as provocative.
A mother looks at her daughter, so carefree, and wants to protect her from a world in which girls’ and women’s laughter is looked at as provocative.
My daughter has an infectious smile
The one she flashes at strangers every time we cross one
I just don’t have the heart yet to tell her not to.
My little girl waves at anyone who she makes an eye contact with
My chirpy little thing shows passersby her new pair of silver anklets
And i just don’t have a heart yet to tell her not to.
My gleeful bundle swirls and shows anyone who cares her new dresses and also points to their fancy details
I just don’t have a heart yet to tell her not to.
She smiles, she waves, she laughs, she swirls
All with such raw happiness
That I don’t have a heart yet to tell her not everyone she comes across is worthy of her gaze.
Her giggles are what make me lift her off her feet and kiss her till her cheeks turn red
Amidst her playful laughter, I just don’t have the heart yet to warn her about the ugliness the world also holds.
I can’t forever hold my baby in my arms
I can’t forever whisk her away from troubles and give her a tight snuggly hug
I can’t forever stare and scare away people who mean no good to her
I know she has to understand the world on her own
And for that I have to warn her about the good the bad and the ugly that it holds
I just don’t have the heart to break that giggle and start telling her that …. yet.
Till then,
Let me be the rude one who says no to strangers when they come a little too close to her.
Let me be the unpleasant one who holds off people from giving her a hug.
Let me be the one suspecting everyone of the worse
And let my girl skip away in pigtails for a little while longer.
Image source: shutterstock
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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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