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Showing posts with the label patriarchy

Building home on a crossroad

Nothing introduces you to patriarchy like marriage. Even if it is too late, once you see it, you just can't unsee it again. When it comes to biology, the only thing that is unrevervisble is a man and a woman's reproductive system, the ability to bring a child into the world and the ability to feed him/her.  The rest of it... I don't get it anymore. Don't you think it is strange, women are worshipped for fertility yet discriminated for the blood that bears its symbol . The worst of the marriage victims find themselves in ashes, with bruises or at times a penetrating uterus, so I guess an identity conflict is far too trivial to comprehend.  Photo courtesy: ChatGPT  Any time a woman raises an eyebrow, it is not necessarily a sign of troubled family or failed marriage. Maybe it is just a student, a story-teller or a wallflower observing from the hinges. While my own conflicts seem too first-world, I don't yet have the creative licence to share many of the st...

Navigating the tug between love & identity

It is so much easier for the world to see what a man contributes but a woman's struggles often remain her silent bouts.  The standards are literally so low for a man, not being abusive makes them amazing. For women, standards are so high that even standing up for themselves becomes a problem. What a woman does is probably only visible to her partner and mother. Because it is the only place we can safely cry and share our perspective.  Recently we went for a dinner where I was told, in a lighter note, how lucky I was to have my husband. I would never say otherwise. I always thank God for him and noone is more aware of what he brings to the table. But, despite being his biggest champion, it suddenly dawned on me how in the seven months of my marriage I have literally seen everyone say the same thing yet I have never heard anyone say he is probably lucky to have me too.  While he remains my biggest champion and sees through every single night of my struggle, tear and strengt...

Mrs - A subtle, yet powerful take on domesticated patriarchy

I know I am late to the party but I instantly joined the fan club. A take on the silent, and mostly unacknowledged, labour of women in a family, Mrs takes us through the journey of a modern woman as she tries to find her place in the new family after marriage. The film broadly shows daily routine of a family almost on a loop -- wherein men go to work, exercise and enjoy, while women of the house find themselves stuck in the kitchen throughout the day and year.  At one point, the loop begins to feel repetitive, but it serves well to highlight the monotony in a woman's life -- through the protagonist, Richa (played by Sanya Malhotra), and her mother in law. The two scenes about a woman guest taking Richa's stand; and her friend's husband helping in the chores offer a refreshing contrast to the Kumars, who illustrate a typical patriarchal mindset.  Sanya nailed as Richa, as her character's silent compliance with her husband and in-laws demands speaks volumes about her rep...