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Showing posts with the label relationships

To The Girl Who Once Took Up Space Without Apology

This one is for the happy-go-lucky girl we all end up losing in our bids to be the so-called "good women".  Honestly, as a daughter maine kabhi patriarchy feel hi nahin ki thi. Main to bhaiya se rakhi bhi bandhwati thi. Ulta being the youngest kid in the house, I was the most pampered child.  But an year into marriage, I am amazed at the endless list of patriarchal patterns I never saw coming until I realised how secondary a woman's position is. And the strangest thing is my husband and my male seniors are actually the ones with whom I have been able to get my point across without offending them. For the many women I used to admire, adjustment and two days of silent visits are a go to advice.  I used to smile jab humare domestic help paani peeke humesha bolte the badia badia naukri lge, humesha khush rahe;  ab to Aashirwad mein bhi sirf pati ki lambi umr ki baat hoti h. And the moment a women speaks up for herself she becomes anti-men.  Honestly, the...

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...