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My dear Anjali… you are better off marrying Aman. That is, if you love him. Else just live your life, lady. Slip into those pants. Tie that bandana around your unruly hair. But please, say a resounding no to Rahul.
I remember watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai when I was in Class 12. Life was simple, and we were naïve. Wisdom sets in much later, and sometimes cine going memories can be endearingly cringeworthy. Right?
If only I could tweak this film a bit (or more), for its treatment of my favourite girl gets my goat. Where’s my magic wand?
Anjali Sharma. That charming tomboyish girl was portrayed as someone irritating. Well, give me Anjali any day over a fake Barbie. She’s beautiful, bold & bindaas. So what if Rahul has a problem with that? Go climb a tree, you confused bloke. Also, I am not against Tina. I can forgive her sanskaari song because, well, you know, these desi gals can be so ‘modern’ (rolling my eyes), and the filmmaker needs to put this record straight – singing Om Jai Jagdish equals a perfect 10 on the bharatiya sabhyata scale.
On the other hand, poor Anjali doesn’t even deserve a second look. My heart goes out to her. She should have been happy with her basketball and jumpers. How I wish someone would have given her a hug and said that she was loveable and no coquettish ada was required from here. But no. The demands of the ever-disproving society ultimately put pressure on her. She loves Rahul, but Rahul has fallen hook, like & sinker for the more feminine Tina. In a heart wrenching scene, Anjali tries to dress up like Tina, and end up being trolled by all. Including the holier-than-thou Tina. You failed your friend. And that last moment damage control was tacky, to say the least.
Years pass by. Anjali has finally agreed to marry Aman. But this time, Rahul falls for her. Because she is now in see-through chiffons. Aided by sudden gusts of wind which surprisingly fail to impact other people around. A Saree equals love, and basketball fades into the background because the pallu decides to play spoilsport.
After all, what right does an 8-year-old girl have to breeze into your life unannounced and decide that you and her dad are a match made in heaven? Yeah?! Rab ne nahi baniyi yeh jodi.
That’s precisely why I am loving these OTT platforms. They are full of rich content, strong characters and bold themes. Who can forget that delightfully devilish Begum from Gulabo Sitabo & Bulbbul? Now, these are women I would forever admire.
So, dear directors from the 90s. Thank you for those memories, but let’s break-up. Because I want to embark on a fresh relationship with the new age Hindi cinema. Adieu.
I am an IT professional, lost in the monotonous world of Excel. So, I seek refuge in Word, pun intended. I write for various literary platforms and have quite a few anthologies to my credit. 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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