FEMININITY IN BOLLYWOOD
By Aadit Kamat and Arushi Parashar
Question for discussion
How does Bollywood construct ideas of the feminine?
Modern Indian Woman
- A new perspective into womanhood
- A new sense of freedom
- Flashback: glimpses of male domination
Queen - a short summary
- Shy and Demure - An archetypal Indian woman
- Falls in love with Vijay after much wooing and pursuing
- Flies off on an overseas trip after the marriage is called off
Iconic scenes from the movie
Iconic scenes from the movie
English Vinglish- A Short Summary
- Portrays the life story of Shashi
- Depicts how the protagonist evolves during the movie and finds a new identity
- Earns the respect of her husband and daughter and gains a newfound confidence
Key characteristics of Shashi
- Indian housewife in the conventional sense
- Scared and intimidated in the beginning. Daring and adventurous as she gains confidence
- Represents the changing role and expectations of an Indian woman
Iconic scenes from the movie
Iconic scenes from the movie
Key points from the reading
- Focuses on describing the idea of new woman in the context of Bollywood
- "The ‘new’ exists only in companionship with the ‘old’ as configurations that co-constitute each other"
- Emphasizes how the 'new' woman is a 're-emphasis' on tradition and looking forward to new beginnings
"Society accepts that there is a new woman, but does not know how much ‘freedom,’ this woman should get because
she threatens the very fabric of our society. So unless society can come to terms with who this new woman is, our
new heroine will continue to be clouded in what is good or what is bad, because a heroine, a heroine or hero is
somebody who is a personification of the morality and the aspirations of the society."
Shabana Azmi Says!
Conclusion
