With a belief that art is always political, we  wish to look at art and culture as a means to inseminate the truths of a society. Over the years, as conversations have varied across cultures, art has been influenced alongside. Looking at Indian cinema specifically, one may be able to realize a conscious effort made by the fraternity to highlight the hard truths of our society. Here’s our take on some of the most famous Indian films, as women of a society that is still baffled by the idea of intersectional feminism. 

To begin with, the latest release Gangubai Kathiawadi, starring Alia Bhatt sets an example of how when speaking of intersectional feminism, one cannot fail to talk about the minorities and people living on the margins, who are made disabled through the hands of the privelleged. With focus on the lived experiences of sex workers, the movie sets a context that most of us couldn’t relate with, and were also unaware of. Apart from keeping Gangubai’s narrative as the core, the parallel themes of the movie contribute to different aspects of a woman’s life. From depicting a young girls’ helplessness to Sheela’s maasi’s intergenerational trauma of being suppressed further being manifested in her old age as the head of the brothel. More than anything the movie also stands as depiction of women from all spheres of life, sometimes caught up in a cycle of being suppressed and also suppressing one and other, and sometimes becoming the very torchbearers for one and other.

Taking a closer look at the struggles of a woman at different stages of her life- right from the womb to the grave, given below is a list of movies that chronologically showcases the social challenges faced by an Indian woman. 

1. X or Y (2022)

Director- Devansh Saraf

Disney Hotstar

The plot revolves around the central theme of preference for a male child even in a seemingly modern society. The newly born baby gets no love, care or even acknowledgement from her grandmother, and gets punished silently for not being born in a male body. Numerous rituals are performed after the first daughter to be able to birth a boy next time, which is almost immediately after the first pregnancy, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction on the first born. The film shows a heart touching story of a burdened mother of two daughters who struggles to communicate her boundaries, but manages to make a safe space for the sake of her daughters. It is saddening to see an unborn child take center stage of misery in the narrative of a society where taking birth and being a loved member of the family are not synonymous for a girl child.

2. Gippi (2013)

Director- Sonam Nair

Netflix, Amazon Prime

With an aim to showcase the complexities and innocence of teenage life, Gippi is about this young girl in her teens, trying to navigate through life, when anything and everything is somehow related to her weight and how she looks. Puberty and adolescence are key features of the film, where friendship, love and hope come to the rescue for Gippi! The not-so high school drama, weaves Gippi’s story through hardships in school, where looks and clout are determinants of one’s worth. On the other hand, the narrative also embraces the presence of love and support from one’s near and dear ones – the little things that often go unnoticed in thechaos of a teenager’s life. 

3. Darlings (2022)

Director- Jasmeet K. Reen

Netflix

This movie portrays the hopes of a wife and the lengths of suffering she goes to in her abusive relationship in the hope of change. Despite acknowledging and evidently seeing her husband’s violent streak, she is unable to break free from the relationship, because of love, because of high tolerance, because of wanting to undo the cycle of loneliness stemming from the end of a toxic marriage that her mother went through, speculations are plenty but we don’t know for sure what held her back for so long. This film gives a dark yet humorous perspective to the saying ‘its easier said than done’. And yet, the film manages to show the courageous and rather outrageous side of a vulnerable and timid wife who breaks all hell loose when something dear to her is taken away by her husband’s wrath. It makes one wonder, what convinces a husband to exhibit authority and possession over his wife? And what convinces a wife to abide, until it’s too late? Is this something we as a society foster and propagate as the unchangeable reality?        

4. English Vinglish (2012)

Director- Gauri Shinde

Amazon Prime 

In its true sense, English Vinglish touches upon aging especially in a woman’s life, where one may feel useless and see life as an aggregate of mundane tasks, since the society is fond of keeping people in boxes, especially women. The Sridevi starrer showcased the desires of a housewife, to dream beyond her kitchen, and not feel guilty to be able to desire a life for herself, independent of her identity as a housewife. From learning English, to navigating through the streets of the United States, Shashi blooms as she ages, suggesting that age may or may not be just a number. 

5. Tribhanga (2021)

Director- Renuka Shahane

Netflix

An intergenerational story of a woman, her estranged mother and her beloved daughter, intricately depicts the nuances of relationships in one’s life and how these experiences shape the individual in a unique way. A much respected public figure can be detested by her daughter, who in turns pledges to never repeat her mother’s mistakes but perhaps ends up making few of her own. This film talks about mother- daughter bond in a novel way that might be too skeptical and harsh, but with good reason. It tries to navigate an ambitious woman’s life who is unable to keep up with the typical responsibilities of a ‘good mother’, forcing the audience to think that a professionally driven woman cannot be a good mother, and inevitably her best choices for herself and her children turn out to be hurtful in the long run. These three generations of women fight the social injustice and moral scrutiny that the society subjects them to in their own unique ways, and naturally they challenge problematic social norms in the process. Thus, this film beautifully lays out the process of acceptance and forgiveness- acceptance of her mother’s situations and decisions, and forgiveness for the unintentional trouble it might have caused her. 

Time and again, various films and shows in Indian media have tried to start a conversation about unexplored gender issues. The mainstream media often give these issues a lens that may help people view them as lived realities; realities that will continue to exist if things don’t change soon. We are at a stage where feminism is a desired reality, trying to be fulfilled by the struggles of those who are oppressed by the system, and those who are fighting to change it. These movies amongst many others mirror the world we live in, with a hope for things to change, someday. 

Written by: Shubhgangi Anand and Siffat Kaur

About the Authors

Shubhangi, a student of Psychology, often likes to explore more than what meets the eye…she is the combination of a critical mind and a mushy heart, trying to make sense of people, their individual differences and at the same time, what makes all humans alike.

Siffat, a 21 year old Psychology graduate from Ambedkar University, identifies herself as a mental health activist and a poet. With a firm belief that art is political, and so is mental health, she only wishes to understand life beyond all of its binaries, and go beyond what is white and black.