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Shashi Deshpande’s writings never fail to reach out and touch the deepest corners of readers’ hearts.
Shashi Deshpande
Shashi Deshpande was born in 1938 at Dharwad district, Karnataka. Her father Shriranga was a celebrated writer and dramatist. Well educated Deshpande, with three degrees in various fields such as Economics, Law and Journalism published her first works in the year 1970. From then on she has been continuously writing in varied genres including fiction, children’s books and short stories. Her most important works are That Long Silence, The Dark Holds No Terrors, The Binding Vine, A Matter Of Time and In The Country Of Deceit.
Her writings are simple and often focus on issues concerning middle class women whose lives are entrenched in sorrow, suppression and dilemma. Her stories are cathartic in the sense that they voice the lives of so many suffering women who have no say in this world. “I never decided that I was going to become a writer, it was never a conscious decision,” she says but we are all only too relieved and thankful to have such a gem of a writer.
The book That Long Silence garnered her with the Sahitya Akademi and Nanjangud Thirumalamba awards. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri award.
Why we find her inspiring:
– For raising concern for the drudgery of millions of middle class women in India through her fiction
– For being such a versatile and motivated writer throughout
Suggested Reading:
http://www.accenture.com/Microsites/vaahini/centre-stage/Pages/a-passion-for-words.aspx
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/finding-ghosts-in-people-heads-shashi-deshpande-ships-that-pass/1/212933.html
*Photo credit: The Hindu.
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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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