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We often come across stereotypes related to age. 'Looking younger than your age' is dismissive of our experiences. Why should we take it as a compliment?
We often come across stereotypes related to age. ‘Looking younger than your age’ is dismissive of our experiences. Why should we take it as a compliment?
Apart from the mythologies like Ramayana and Mahabharata where the elder child and the primogeniture concept were important, what we often see in movies and shows is quite different. Let us look at the various aspects of unhealthy demands of being young.
You look so much younger than your little sister or brother!! Is this really a compliment? Why does one have to look younger at all?
The elder child is supposed to be the quiet one, the younger one more lively and chirpy. The elder one is to be responsible, the younger one carefree. If the elder child gets into a love marriage/drinks/ smokes or gets any of the societally condemned habits, and whether or not the younger child does it, the elder person would be blamed for their siblings’ actions because of the responsibility that comes with age.
Moreover, the younger daughter (in many Indian soaps) is portrayed as the pretty one. Does it have to be with age? Or does it have to be with the personality?
I guess many of you would have heard your parents say this. They even defend the earlier age difference of 10-15 years among the spouses as being “normal” because the girl will get old much earlier.
Is it just because she’s a girl? Or because of no self-care? Or maybe due to adverse physical and mental health? I think people might have to relook at this concept while looking at couples like Nick and Priyanka or Sushmita and Rohman.
We need to get ahead of these concepts. What we ultimately do is increase the business of various service providers be it botox, facelift, salons, gyms, or face creams which hardly work.
The famous Monica Geller (Courtney Cox) had her fillers removed as she felt it marred her natural looks. We can all agree she looked much better without it.
What we need today is self-care, exercise, being happy. Take out some time for yourself, calm down and meditate, read, eat what you wish in moderation. Live a happy life without caring about what your neighbors think.
Look for inspirations around you, be it your mother who exercises at 45, your father who plays sports at 50, your uncle who is a badminton player at 60.
Or even celebrities like Milind Soman at 50+ and his 75+ mother who can do push-ups at this age. I feel that’s the right combination of wrinkles and white hair with which we can aspire to have a happy life after all.
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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