WOMEN IN CINEMA

WOMEN IN CINEMA 

Author:- Samiya choudhary, a Student of HPNLU, SHIMLA

INTRODUCTION: 

Women in cinemas in the past were always portrayed as frumpy, frail, and under the system of patriarchy. They were shown as ones who are only confined to household chores or for dancing etc. the clothes they wore have deep necks, and they portrayed of intense nudity, which at that time was considered as not something normal but however, in contemporary times, everything has become normal and part of our lives and people in contemporary times consider things like wearing short dresses, etc normal and the conservative ideas of past times as abnormal. In classic cinema, women were shown as weak and under the system of patriarchy and were portrayed as if they are entirely dependent on males and cant even step out of their homes without permission or without sticking themselves to males. Every woman was supposed to be under male dominance and for the sake of her husband and family, she accepted everything that came her way, be it domestic violence, abuse, emotional, physical, social, economic, etc. They were not in a position to question the dominance of male in society and they felt like questioning as something against their morals and customs of the society and hence, considered it abnormal. Not in cinemas but in reality as well women faced humungous circumstances  against her and have gone through difficult times. Talking about their representation in cinema, media, etc., they were portrayed as machines who were only confined to work and have kids. Despite having several attempts of domestic violence and abuse, by her husband or family members, she won't blurt even a single word and will accept it as something usual and acceptable. The reason for their condition might have been influenced by the societal norms at that time ,so due to societal pressure and to secure the dignity of their family, her husband who even is brutal and for the sake of her children, she smiled to everything that came her way no matter what. The role of patriarchy in subjugating their interests, and longings have been prevalent in classic cinema in representing women. But however, this portrayal of women has drastically changed and in contemporary times are shown just opposite to that version where women are shown as she-heroes and strong and as if they are playing roles of men and portrayed as aggressive. And where everything is normal in terms of dressing sense, their roles as emerging dominating and the ones asserting their autonomy over their bodies. 

Brief and comparison between the movies secret superstar and Mrs. Chatterjee v Norway:  

Two movies, one is a classic movie namely Secret superstar and one of the contemporary times that is Mrs. Chatterjee v  Norway. Both these movies have opposite portrayals of women as being dominated and dominating, inferior roles to superior roles, acting as machines, and being she-heroes. In the first movie that is secret superstar revolves around a mother and daughter and the environment they are living in. there is a teenage girl namely insia who has a rude and brutal father and loving and caring mother and his younger brother and her grandmother at her place she has a dream of becoming a popular singer but this dream she cant fulfill in the presence of her father because her father was a person who was a kind of misogynist or somethings as he never wanted girls or women to step out of the house. And always wanted women to be under his control and he should be the only head of the house and under him everyone should follow him. But her mother was having an opposite nature as she was very sweet, loving, caring, and always supported her children but the surrounding in which they were living that is with her husband or insias father was not all all normal for them and was the main source of hindrance towards their groth and development. The environment and scenario in which they were living has effects on their physical and most imporatnly on their mental health. So in the movie it shows how insia is living under the dominance of her father and feels scared of chasing her dreams. Her dream to  become a singer to get it fulfilled,she required a laptop, a guitar etc equpments but doesn’t have that courage to ask for these to her father who is extremely conservative and is against all this. As according to him,it is just a waste of time as he was having a conservative mindset. She always wanted to participate in the music competitions in her school but she could not participate because for that she needs permission of her father but she doesn’t have that courage and confidence to ask her father for the same. So her mother just make her daughter satisfy and make her feel happy and so that she could fulfill her dreams ,she sold her jewellary without asking her father  and got her a laptop which made insia extremely happy. But his happiness didn’t lasted very long as one day his father, his brother and and her mother were about to go in marriage function but her father noticed that something was missing in her and aksed her to  go and wear her jewellary and she started pretending as if it isn’t in the almirah and might have lost and she is unable to find ata the momemt,but her father got to know that she sold it and then, he started violence on her, beated her like anything, and her mother without saying anything accepted all athat just for the reason that they were economically dependent on him. As insia made her youtube channel with the laptop her mother gifted her and then she thought of posting her videos but then again was afraid of her father and then her mother gave her an idea to make a video in the burkha and name the youtube channel as secret superstar and then she posted and hence, got popular and even one day in her tuition,the husband of her tutuion teacger was reading the newspaper and she saw her ppicture and she ran away home as fast as she could just to hide the newspaper so that her father ould not see and if he saw, then everything will bw troube. Her father slways blamed her mother najma for low marks of insia and blamed the using of guitar etc for them and he in anger broke the guitar and insia  herself broke the laptop in anger and frustrayion and was mentally disturebed with the everyday violence that her father do on her mother. Now this teenage girl one day watching the tv saw a lawyer who foght shakti kumars case who was the music director and won the case and then she decided to make her parents divorced. As she was also getting the proposal of shakti kumar  and therefore sh goes to Mumbai without telling and informing anyone and only her lover chinatn who always supported her was aware.this time her mother was also unaware that insia is going to Mumbai. In Mumbai she sings a song and made everyone surprised with her voice.her fame started to increase more and more. And even nominated for the award of best singer.. there in Mumbai she request the director shakti kumar for the lawyer and the fixes a date. Then insia meets the lawyer who gives her advise  but when she asks her mother for the divorse, her mother resisted because she belived that they are dependent on him and cant leave even him no matter what. Insia got anger on her mother refusal and then, her grandmother reveals a big truth saying that don’t be anger with your mother insia, as when she was born her father was having an intention to kill her but it was only her mother who saved her and made her alive. Then they gets a happy news that their father has got a new job in Saudi arabia and insia was happy that they have to look for that brutal man only once in a month and they all will be living out of the cage and freely. But this happiness was short lived as her father announces that they all will accompany him and also he has looked for a boy for insia in Saudi arabia only. Then, after insias examination in school,she was about to leave on that evening, her lover chintan and shakti kumar tried their best to convince insia to stay and fulfill her dreams but she was of the view that she has no other choce but to follow what her father says. On that last day of the school. Insia and Chintan spend some time together for the last time. It was the time for them to leave and at the airport,the clerk tells them that they hhave an extra luggage that they have to leave there and will not be allowed to take that. Then her father looks for all the luggage and blames and starts to should on najma for carrying the guitar with them and asks insia to throw it in the dustbin. Insia bursting in anger, went to throw it in the dustbin. Najme even tries to argue with him to let Insia take the guitar but he rather threatens him to tightly slap on her face. Then everything changes and the movie gives a different portrayal as at the spot, in front of everyone, Najma throws away the signed divorce papers on his face and moves on . and therefore they became independent and got free and made a deep sigh of relief at the end of the award ceremony, this secret superstar revealed her identity and fulfilled her dream of becoming a singer.  Then the second movie centers around a strong, -hero, and brave mother who migrated to Norway with her husband after their marriage and then living their life in Norway. She was a woman who in that alien country wasn’t afraid of anyone their and she wasn’t even was that much habitual with the language of Norway but her husband was habitual with the language of Norway. There she has 2 children, one daughter, shuchi and one son, shubh.  She was living a happy life with her children and was enjoying her Bengali culture there as well and most of the time wore her favorite Bengali saree and didn’t opt for the culture of Norway but rather was enjoying and keeping her Bengali culture intact. However, there was an intervention in their happy life by the child welfare service working under the Norway government. The officials that were the the two females started to visit their place to observe everything they do, how they live their life, and how they care for their children and debika never treated them as guests and never got angered with them as usually we can't tolerate a third person at our place for so long. But rather, she treated the officials as a family and made them comfortable. But after a few months, they were usually there in their house, and they picked up both their children and put them in the van, and ran away, and she tried her best to run before them and catch them but she could not. Then after they got to know the reason why their children were kidnapped and the reason was the wrong environment for children that is creating a hindrance in their growth and development. The child welfare service blamed them for improper parenting and therefore blamed both the parents that they are not a stable and good parents for their children as they made their children sleep on the same bed, feed them with their hands, etc., so the cultural differences between the two countries made them up to this stage and then tries her best to approach the courts, the lawyers and requests everyone to give the children back. She was in a state that everyone out there could understand what a mother would be if her children were taken away from her. So she was already disturbed with this thing and now wants her children back at any cost. On the other hand, her husband was also worried but not as much as he should be, as they were his children as well but he was only concerned with the citizenship of Norway and always accepted the culture and everything of that alien country and this time as well did everything what the Norway government was saying. Then they both approached a lawyer but unfortunately, the case was not in their favor then next time as well they hired a lawyer also the case didn’t come in their favour. Every time, they tried their best but nothing fruitful turned out, and then, in the courtroom, Debika misbehaved and intervened in the proceedings of the court which shows how courageous and impatient she was for the sake of her children and not scared of anything. Then, her parents even visited Norway and her inlaws, but her in-laws never supported her the best part is that she was least bothered with what others said and only focussed on her own work, and then she realized that her husband was just a weak person who doesn’t have the courage and confidence to fight with the Norway government and realized that she could alone do anything for her children. She finds the best ways possible to get children back, even if it is the wrong way. At one time, she went to the place where children were kept, and she somehow picked the children and went away and was about to leave the country all alone in a foreign country. But she was caught at the station, so this time as well, her attempt failed. Then there was a treaty that was about to be signed between India and Norway and one lady politician namely Neena was about to come to Norway to sign the treaty. Debika got an amazing idea to go to the place where the treaty was to be signed and thought of asking Indian politicians who would visit Norway so that she would get media coverage in both countries and this was the only last resort she was left with. So on the day of the treaty, she went all alone in the alien country informing the family that she is going to a temple. She went there and when the introductory session was going on there, she intervened. Despite several attempts by the security to stop her from speaking and intervening, she actually spoke to the politician and asked her for help and explained everything about how the cultural differences between the countries made her children separated from her. Then the politician stopped the ceremony and raided voice on her behalf and helped her and therefore at the last, it was decided that the children would be returned with a condition that is not to her but to any third person, so decided to give them to her in-laws. But her inlaws refuse to give her children back to her. Now, the battle starts between Debika and her in-laws. Therefore after fighting for so long with the entire Norway country she fought in Kilkatta High Court in India only all alone when her husband himself declared that his wife is mad and not mentally stable. and hence, in the end with the court's verdict, she gets the custody of her children back and again lives a happy life.  Therefore,in both the movies the representation of women is opposite to each other as the first movie shows the classic style of women where they are only confined to household chores and have to be under the control and dominance of men and they cant even be independent and have to take everystep with the permission of the male member in the family and women who follow everything what her family or husband says is considered as acceptable and normal whereas women who will speak against what is happening with her is considered as abnormal and not all acceptable so as in the movie as well the mother and daughter are shown as enduring the subjugation of their father whereas in the next movie the representation is entirely different where the women is not under the dominace of patriarchy or dependent on them but rather, living in a alien country where she is not known to their culture and language and to get the custody of her children she fights against the entire Norway country all alone by herself without the support of anyone not even her husband as he was only concerned with getting the citizenship and therefore she being a strong, brave and heroic mother for the sake of her children she fought with entire country alone that is not a piece of cake for everyone and also doing this in the foriegn country where she noy known to anyone ,to thier culture , language and everything and by any means no matter the wrong means also she choose, and fought with her in laws as well both in her country and alien country having the courage, bravery, and confidence in her to stand on her own feet and not to be dependent on anyone. Therefore this change in cinema or media has also affected our society in a positive way as it changed the mindset of the people and made them realize that women are not only confined to household chores and aren't just machines for having kids but rather women are more strong and confident or equal to males and there is no difference as such which was earlier considered. Hence, this change has made a change in the thinking of people and made them aware of the need of gender equality in contemporary times. From cinema showing a highly patriarchial society and restrictions imposed on women to cinema showing women taking all responsibilities on their shoulders and being given dominant roles.

Conclusion:

Therefore, this change in representation of women has led to a change in the mentality of society towards women, as cinema has a great power to influence the public. Hence, the classic movies depicted women as weak, powerless, and having to submit to male authority and were in subordinate roles and only confined to domestic and motherly work. So, women were portrayed as ones who are not respectable and can't have independent identities. So, therefore, earlier, the cinema just focused on objectifying women. However, a huge change can be seen in contemporary times where there are opposite portrayals of women being dominating and powerful and not confined to the roles they earlier were.