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Eventually the bahu manages to convince her marital clan that such restrictions imposed by a ruthless patriarchal society on women are illogical, baseless, unscientific, and grossly inhumane.
Albeit it is a little late in the day but as a ‘feminist’ movie buff I am full of admiration for the 2020 Bangla film Brahma Janen Gopon Kommoti (The Creator Knows The Secret).
The film revolves around the doings of a feisty liberal young lady Shabari who vociferously lambasts the prevailing social dogmas which debar women from officiating as priests since they undergo menstruation every month. The protagonist also raises her voice against the concept and practice of kanyadaan.
*Spoilers Alert*
Shabari is a Sanskrit lecturer at college, an accomplished vocalist, and yes you have got to believe this: an honorary priest. She has picked up the nuances of priesthood from her late father, a full time purohit. Incidentally the plot is based on the real life happenings of Nandini Bhowmick, a Kolkata based lady priest, who is often in the news for solemnizing weddings sans kanyadaan.
When a chance encounter with an eligible bachelor at a college ‘do’ leads to match making, she tells the groom-to-be that she does ‘puja’ among other things. Her words are misconstrued as the quotidian puja that (married) women perform in their homes.
While the nuptials are on she persuades the priest to skip the ritual of kanyadaan. After the wedding, Shabari is in for a ‘culture shock’ as the family is terribly orthodox. This compels her to pursue her priestly duties clandestinely.
When the surreptitious activities are ultimately exposed, her in laws are petrified. The womenfolk are further aghast to realize that Shabari even conducted the in-house puja while on her period. As expected, a huge drama unfolds, leading to her ostracization. Fortunately for her, they are neither aggressive nor violent, being timid, faint hearted people.
Eventually the bahu manages to convince her marital clan that such restrictions imposed by a ruthless patriarchal society on women are illogical, baseless, unscientific, grossly inhumane. And that women are in no way inferior to their male counterparts.
As the clarion call against the taboo imposed on ‘menstrual blood’ gets louder and clearer with each passing day, this film is indeed a shot in the arm for women’s activists and social workers; hence it is a must-see for everyone, irrespective of their age groups.
Am a trained and experienced features writer with 30 plus years of experience .My favourite subjects are women's issues, food travel, art,culture ,literature et all.Am a true feminist at heart. An iconoclast read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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