S
Shruti Dasgupta
Guest
Bollywood is known for its fast pace and loose morals! The vibrant narratives and stories that rock the box office are usually laced with a strong dose of distorted feminism. While the movies and web series unfold a kaleidoscope of emotions and societal reflections, the portrayal of feminism and female protagonists is often a caricature of reality. Thus, a closer inspection of Bollywood or Urduwood reveals a deep-seated hate for women.
The Silver Screen Industry usually reduces female empowerment to mere over-sexualization and lost ethics, overshadowing the true essence of the feminist movement.
The film industry, on numerous occasions, encapsulates distorted feminist ideals in its storytelling. Yet, more often than not, these attempts fall victim to the industry’s propensity for superficiality.
Take, for instance, the following the prevalent trope of female characters and their portrayals:
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One female protagonist is portrayed as a ‘sanskari’ woman by singing bhajans in a miniskirt too short to even sit in! The other female character is only able to get her man by getting in touch with her ‘womanly’ side. Even then she was only successful in embracing true love by betraying her fiance right before the ‘mandap’ and her entire social circle!
The entire movie focuses on justifying extra marital affairs! The male and female characters dupe their families and loved ones under the guise of ‘friendship’.
The epitome-of-progress female in short clothes does not get the man. The Sanskari female character gets the man by publicly betraying her fiance and her family.
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All the female characters are hot-shots in the big bad world! They are projected as progressive feminists by wearing short or revealing clothes, having a habit of drinking, suffering from broken marriages or relationships, and changing sexual partners often!
One of the female characters is a fifty-year-old who fancies herself in love with a twenty-something man. She dupes him into a relationship conducted via messages and phone calls. When the man rejects her upon eventually meeting her, she is projected as a victim!
The female protagonist dupes her rich and single boss into marrying her. She fakes her way through the marriage and ultimately stages circumstances for a divorce, in which she claims her pound of flesh!
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The party-going-drunk-as-a-skunk female character does not get her man in the end. Despite her successful career and easy morals, she is ultimately rejected by her boyfriend for her Sanskari best friend.
The list of such nauseatingly empowered ‘strong’ women is endless! However, in reality, Bollywood peddles the narrative of feminism under the guise of thinly veiled hypersexuality and loose morals. The film industry adorns female characters with a superficial moral strength that often manifests through betrayal of self or family. Thus, in reality, they portray women and feminism through their own distorted lens reducing them to a one-dimensional showcase.
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Female characters in web series and movies are reduced to the length of their skirts! Bollywood loves to flaunt ‘gori chamdi’ to gain box office results. Thus, despite being proponents of feminism, the film industry usually equates female power with overt sexuality.
Thus, Bollywood is responsible for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about feminism and women empowerment.
Why should this bother us? Well, unfortunately, the exposure of such content creates a ripple effect in the minds of the youth of Bharat. Indian girls can be seen on TikTok or social media gyrating to item numbers songs. They fall for the short-skirts-revealing-clothes troupe that allows women to objectify themselves under the pretext of liberation.
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Moreover, it fills the minds of young boys with stereotypes! Young men end up reinforcing regressive norms in their female relatives to counter the challenge presented by Bollywood. Thereafter, they tend to view all other women through this distorted lens of commodification of the female body in the name of feminism!
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The film industry needs to revive its moral values and contribute meaningfully to the feminist discourse. They must embrace narratives that celebrate the diversity of women’s experiences. Characters need to evolve beyond one-dimensional archetypes and storylines should delve into the intricacies of the feminist struggle without relying on the crutch of oversexualization.
Bollywood needs to redefine its concept of empowered women and feminism. It must champion authentic feminist narratives. With the power that the film industry holds over societal perceptions, its responsibility to convey ethically and morally correct stories should increase not decrease. Therefore, it is time for the industry to move beyond the confines of its own making and truly empower women on and off the screen.
The post Feminism and Women Empowerment Through Bollywood’s Distorted Lens appeared first on The Jaipur Dialogues.
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The Silver Screen Industry usually reduces female empowerment to mere over-sexualization and lost ethics, overshadowing the true essence of the feminist movement.
A Superficial Embrace of Empowerment
The film industry, on numerous occasions, encapsulates distorted feminist ideals in its storytelling. Yet, more often than not, these attempts fall victim to the industry’s propensity for superficiality.
Take, for instance, the following the prevalent trope of female characters and their portrayals:
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Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
One female protagonist is portrayed as a ‘sanskari’ woman by singing bhajans in a miniskirt too short to even sit in! The other female character is only able to get her man by getting in touch with her ‘womanly’ side. Even then she was only successful in embracing true love by betraying her fiance right before the ‘mandap’ and her entire social circle!
Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna
The entire movie focuses on justifying extra marital affairs! The male and female characters dupe their families and loved ones under the guise of ‘friendship’.
Dil Toh Pagal Hai
The epitome-of-progress female in short clothes does not get the man. The Sanskari female character gets the man by publicly betraying her fiance and her family.
PC koimoi
Four More Shorts Please!
All the female characters are hot-shots in the big bad world! They are projected as progressive feminists by wearing short or revealing clothes, having a habit of drinking, suffering from broken marriages or relationships, and changing sexual partners often!
Lipstick Under My Burkha
One of the female characters is a fifty-year-old who fancies herself in love with a twenty-something man. She dupes him into a relationship conducted via messages and phone calls. When the man rejects her upon eventually meeting her, she is projected as a victim!
Made In Heaven
The female protagonist dupes her rich and single boss into marrying her. She fakes her way through the marriage and ultimately stages circumstances for a divorce, in which she claims her pound of flesh!
PC IFORHER
Cocktail
The party-going-drunk-as-a-skunk female character does not get her man in the end. Despite her successful career and easy morals, she is ultimately rejected by her boyfriend for her Sanskari best friend.
The list of such nauseatingly empowered ‘strong’ women is endless! However, in reality, Bollywood peddles the narrative of feminism under the guise of thinly veiled hypersexuality and loose morals. The film industry adorns female characters with a superficial moral strength that often manifests through betrayal of self or family. Thus, in reality, they portray women and feminism through their own distorted lens reducing them to a one-dimensional showcase.
Oversexualization as Empowerment
PC Quora
Female characters in web series and movies are reduced to the length of their skirts! Bollywood loves to flaunt ‘gori chamdi’ to gain box office results. Thus, despite being proponents of feminism, the film industry usually equates female power with overt sexuality.
Thus, Bollywood is responsible for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about feminism and women empowerment.
Why should this bother us? Well, unfortunately, the exposure of such content creates a ripple effect in the minds of the youth of Bharat. Indian girls can be seen on TikTok or social media gyrating to item numbers songs. They fall for the short-skirts-revealing-clothes troupe that allows women to objectify themselves under the pretext of liberation.
PC Homegrown
Moreover, it fills the minds of young boys with stereotypes! Young men end up reinforcing regressive norms in their female relatives to counter the challenge presented by Bollywood. Thereafter, they tend to view all other women through this distorted lens of commodification of the female body in the name of feminism!
Need For Authentic Feminist Narratives
PC Purpose Studios
The film industry needs to revive its moral values and contribute meaningfully to the feminist discourse. They must embrace narratives that celebrate the diversity of women’s experiences. Characters need to evolve beyond one-dimensional archetypes and storylines should delve into the intricacies of the feminist struggle without relying on the crutch of oversexualization.
Bollywood needs to redefine its concept of empowered women and feminism. It must champion authentic feminist narratives. With the power that the film industry holds over societal perceptions, its responsibility to convey ethically and morally correct stories should increase not decrease. Therefore, it is time for the industry to move beyond the confines of its own making and truly empower women on and off the screen.
The post Feminism and Women Empowerment Through Bollywood’s Distorted Lens appeared first on The Jaipur Dialogues.
Continue reading...