I looked at myself in my new Lauren by Ralph Lauren dress in the mirror and was suddenly and most anticlimactically reminded of a news piece I read about a few weeks back. A dalit woman being paraded naked in Punjab (more states would follow or had already done so).
What she had done to deserve this is probably immaterial and to ask why too frivolous. It was enough that she was a dalit and that she was a woman.
Like me.
We are the same women. I could have been her. She could have been me.
In flashes of atavistic imagination, I saw myself stripped of that dress with numerous Rajput male eyes on me. On her behalf, I tried to experience a fraction the helplessness, insecurity and shame and found myself vaguely incapable. In dense irony, technology would come to the service of misplaced archaism, and cellphone cameras would go into overdrive.
The country we live in is a study of contradictions. People become animals, animals become Gods, Gods become people. Then people become Gods and cultivate with indulgence an obssession with heirarchy that is evident not just in religion but everywhere else. It is what makes us ignore the many convoluted, mystical, theatrical layers of hinduism and take back only the classification that can help us discriminate. Dalit womanhood spread so thin as to incorporate me and her within and still have no evidence of indigestion, no revolts, no talks of abnormality.
Of course I would keep my dress. I would like to wear it to that pind in Punjab. I would like to manifest the contradiction, and the abormality.
Status - Of all the things I feel right now, the strongest is gratitude. My father crossed several worlds on his own with no one to hold his hand. The many, many things I take for granted (like being clothed) would not have been possible were it not for his simple self-belief.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Khalnayak
A recent random conversation caused me to ruminate over and consolidate what makes 'Khalnayak' my favourite movie. My fondness for bullet points contributed tremendously.
1) The reversal of points of view. The introduction of the concept of 'anti hero'. The brilliant casting of Sanjay Dutt. I do believe that no one else could have done as much justice to that role.
2) Ditto Madhuri. By then she had carefully honed the talent of making even the most casual expressions and movements simultaneously explosive and graceful. The non size zero buxomness and that million dollar smile did not hurt either. Present day actresses who believe that achieving that allure is as easy as shedding clothing should get out their notepads.
3) Which brings us to the next point. Her clothes. The saris, but especially the ghagras, cholis and odhnis. She does not once wear western wear through the movie, and thank God for that.
4) The amazing songs. A mere listing is enough.
-Nayak nahin khalnayak hoon main
-Der se aana jaldi jaana (my personal favourite of all times - killer wink)
-Aaja sajan aaja
-Choli ke peechhe kya hai
-Palki mein hoke sawaar chali re
5) Three of these songs display a concentrated view of the mood and in fact the central idea of the female character in this movie while retaining her many dimensions - The Virah (Birha), brought to life skilfully by Madhuri.
6) The exquisite portrayal of a particular brand of femininity, and by extension feminism, I personally subscribe to.
7) The strong undertone of the 'Ramayana', itself one of my favourite stories. In this version, Ravana testifies for Seeta during her agni pareeksha, and does his own sanhaar.
8) This is a Subhash Ghai movie! It is bollywood not trying to be anything its not, yet not succumbing to the formula. I am partial to this fact because 90s bollywood and its kitsch and masala are my most favourite viewing pleasures.
9) The era itself. A time when english words were not used in the movies, things were not set in foreign locations and packaging was not of much importance.
10) Finally, several times through the movie, there is specific reference to jewellery as gift. I think all women will agree with me when I say that there is no better gift than that, and as shown in the movie, timing is crucial. If a man is serious about you, he gifts you jewellery. Its simple.
status - Filmy!
The runner up is 'Devdas' because I love the story in all its versions (a heart wrenching tale of unrequited love and existentialism), for its grandeur and splendour,but above all, for Prakash Kapadia's prowess in the dialogue department. It lent the grand story the framework it demanded. Again, Madhuri gets full points for the portrayal of the beautiful,multilayered Chandramukhi and her complex low self-respect. She falls in love with a man because he is in love with another woman.
1) The reversal of points of view. The introduction of the concept of 'anti hero'. The brilliant casting of Sanjay Dutt. I do believe that no one else could have done as much justice to that role.
2) Ditto Madhuri. By then she had carefully honed the talent of making even the most casual expressions and movements simultaneously explosive and graceful. The non size zero buxomness and that million dollar smile did not hurt either. Present day actresses who believe that achieving that allure is as easy as shedding clothing should get out their notepads.
3) Which brings us to the next point. Her clothes. The saris, but especially the ghagras, cholis and odhnis. She does not once wear western wear through the movie, and thank God for that.
4) The amazing songs. A mere listing is enough.
-Nayak nahin khalnayak hoon main
-Der se aana jaldi jaana (my personal favourite of all times - killer wink)
-Aaja sajan aaja
-Choli ke peechhe kya hai
-Palki mein hoke sawaar chali re
5) Three of these songs display a concentrated view of the mood and in fact the central idea of the female character in this movie while retaining her many dimensions - The Virah (Birha), brought to life skilfully by Madhuri.
6) The exquisite portrayal of a particular brand of femininity, and by extension feminism, I personally subscribe to.
7) The strong undertone of the 'Ramayana', itself one of my favourite stories. In this version, Ravana testifies for Seeta during her agni pareeksha, and does his own sanhaar.
8) This is a Subhash Ghai movie! It is bollywood not trying to be anything its not, yet not succumbing to the formula. I am partial to this fact because 90s bollywood and its kitsch and masala are my most favourite viewing pleasures.
9) The era itself. A time when english words were not used in the movies, things were not set in foreign locations and packaging was not of much importance.
10) Finally, several times through the movie, there is specific reference to jewellery as gift. I think all women will agree with me when I say that there is no better gift than that, and as shown in the movie, timing is crucial. If a man is serious about you, he gifts you jewellery. Its simple.
status - Filmy!
The runner up is 'Devdas' because I love the story in all its versions (a heart wrenching tale of unrequited love and existentialism), for its grandeur and splendour,but above all, for Prakash Kapadia's prowess in the dialogue department. It lent the grand story the framework it demanded. Again, Madhuri gets full points for the portrayal of the beautiful,multilayered Chandramukhi and her complex low self-respect. She falls in love with a man because he is in love with another woman.
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