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Though I have always been a fan of mythology, I often wondered if the plight of women has changed since then. And I ask, what about her?
Like any other Indian child, I grew up listening to the tales of Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Paeans were sung in praise of the ‘Maryada Purushottam Ram.’ The valour and righteousness of the Pandavas never failed to impress us. And then came the Doordarshan era, which ushered in the long-running weekly series of our two epics. Life came to a standstill every Sunday at 9 am.
I had always been drawn towards the Mahabharata. Why? Was it because it boasted of a strong female protagonist? And again, why was she strong? Was it because she had five husbands, disregarding all the rules of monogamy? I was intrigued. Why did people advise women not to be like Panchali? I discovered it much later.
Sita was meek, docile and submissive. And Panchali, well, she was the cause of the Great War of Kurukshetra. Why should women be like her and cause destruction in the world? Ah, there I found the reason.
The younger and the naïve me dismissed Sita with scorn. She deserved what she got, I reasoned. If she had retorted, she would not have the miseries she was subjected to. In her place, Panchali would have made her husband hang his head in shame and dared him to test her purity.
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee brought to the front a hitherto unknown Panchali. Here was a woman with flaws. A princess camouflaged her insecurities by daring to ask questions. Panchali was a woman who nurtured a secret love for Karna. She was a woman trapped in a man’s world. Boy, was I mesmerised by the book. So, when The Forest of Enchantments released, I grabbed it with glee.
Ramayana – The story of Ram. What about the women, without whom the epic would be incomplete? Sita – the ever-suffering wife. Urmila – the unsung heroine of the tale. Kaikeyi – the mother with the fury of a tigress out to protect her cubs. Soorpanakha – the girl who transcended morality and paid a heavy price for it. Mandodari – the stoic queen silently enduring the ignominy of her husband wanting a woman young enough to be his daughter. Ahalya – the chaste woman who waited for Ram to relieve her of a curse, for no fault of hers.
Chitra B asks pertinent questions. What is love? Does one have to undergo the test of fire to prove one’s fidelity? And does endurance signify the strength of character of a person? A woman is a daughter, a wife, a mother, a queen. But when does she draw the line and say ‘enough is enough?’
Our epics have different versions in various regions of our country. As a result, they have been open to interpretation. Hence, we have authors like Chitra B and Kavita Kane who come out with female-centric versions of the epics.
While I agree that the bygone era is different from the times we live in, has the condition of the woman changed? How many Panchalis are stripped daily? And how many Soorpanakhas are shamed daily, just because they crossed the ‘lines’ dictated by the patriarchal society? How many Ahalyas suffer due to circumstances on which they had no control?
As I contemplate, I discover that I continue to love both the epics. I feel for Ram, who had the dilemma of ‘society vs. family.’ And I still love the five Pandavas, who destroyed the evil Kauravas. Like Ram, they too had the difficult task of choosing between ‘Dharma and Family.’ But an older, wiser me asks – what about her?
A version of this was earlier published here.
Picture credits: Still from Star Plus’ show Mahabharata
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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