Bibi, Begum aur Patni

Well, I've had a mammoth film viweing day of three classic hindi films depicting the social life of Indians in three different periods.

1. Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam (1962)

2. Shatranj ke Khiladi (1977)

3. Katha (1983)

Although Sahib Bibi and Shatranj were set in a time older than their year of release, I found certain similarities and observations on the role of men and women in Indian society in all three of them.

Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam: Meena Kumari's character is of a woman who is married to a rich landlord of Calcutta (pre-independence) who is given to heavy drinking and womanising at the kotha. But she is not like the other women in the house who quietly ignore these antics of their husbands and as according to her sister-in-law even support it as a 'manly' activity. She wants to spend time with her husband, or what else does she have to do the entire day! Her Husband is like a God, and she must serve him at all times, so much that she will drink liquor and sing for him (blasphemy in those days). I really liked her performance, it was powerful and conveyed the dichotomy of her situation very well. The song, "na jao sayian" is haunting with her drunk presence and Alvi's camera movements. But why does she have a deep devotion for her husband who clearly does not care for her? Was it a survival technique for women in those days who could not be economically or socially liberated? Or was it in some sense a powerful effort on her part to claim her husband back to where he belonged?

But there is only a slight retribution for her at the end, as her husband lies bedridden and she drunk....an ironic role reversal.

Waheedas's character on the other hand is of a woman who is also taking charge of her life, even though it is within archaic child marriage rules.

Shatranj ke Khiladi: Shabana Azmi is Sanjeev Kumar's wife who has clearly lost interest in her to his chess board. Here too, Azmi's character tries to connive Kumar's character into spending time with her. She is desperate and even sexually deprived. But the man here is not interested in being physical. On the other hand, Jaffrey's wife (a robust Fareeda Jalal) is cheating on him with his nephew and clearly expressing her sexuality. I found these to be brilliant characterisations.

Katha: Deepti Naval's character is easily attracted to the "bad-boy" Farooque Sheikh. While on the other hand Naseeruddin is never able to express his love for her till the last moment nor does Deepti's character guage his emotions. But what struck me was when Farooque's character asks her if she is 'modern and liberated'. As soon as she admits she is (hesitatingly), he finds it easy to canoodle and get her into bed. But even after facing humiliation from him, Naseer's character accepts her in the end as who she is.

All in all......I'm trying to place how women are portrayed in Indian Cinema through the ages. Why is a woman portrayed to be begging for a man's affection? And yet, they are infinitely free and powerful. It says something about our patriachal society, which has been, and still is going strong, if not directly but subtly.

Mother and Child
Ki Monastery, Kaza

I saw women
carrying their children
on their backs
as they ploughed and walked,
I looked at one and saw the other
as they were one

Customer Complaint

So, I wrote a customer complaint to a major footwear chain - Woodland. This is the first time I gave feedback to a company whose products I consume. And it turned out to be a hilarious exercise! There was no feeback book available at the store and I wondered if I should email them. And then my friend Sushmit inspired me, by calling the company’s lapse as "Sexist Capitalism!"
Here is what transpired:-

from Harmanpreet Kaur <harmankaur.82@gmail.com>
tocare@woodlandworldwide.com
ccsales@woodlandworldwide.net
date Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 12:35 AM
subject Customer Complaint

Hi,
As a resident of New Delhi, India and a regular shopper at the Woodland stores, I'd like to complain regarding the availability of trekking shoes in the women's range. Why are trekking shoes for women unavailable in India? Doesn't the company manufacture them? Or are they just not stocked or sold in India?
As a woman who frequently likes to be outdoors, I would really appreciate if Woodland launched a few interesting designs for women in the trekking range. Woodland has such a wide variety for men's trekking shoes. Does the company feel that women in this country do not like the rugged outdoors like their male counterparts?
The designs that are available in the shoes range, are not made for the purpose of trekking. Women only buy them to keep their feet warm in the winter season. They are quite boring actually.
There is a market for a whole lot of women in this country who have started to travel and explore. It would be profitable if you would cater to their demand. There is also no other brand in this nation that caters to the demand of outdoor shoes like Woodland does. If a woman wanted to go a trek in the mountains, she would not buy sports shoes from Nike/Reebok/Adidas. She would buy them from your store, BUT you do not manufacture it for her! It's a clear gender bias.
As a customer of Woodland since it launched in the early 90's, I remember purchasing the women's trek shoe (olive and brown) with leather laces when I was a teenager! Please resume that style or launch new ones!
Rgds
Harmanpreet Kaur

from Harkirat Singh <harkiratsingh@woodlandworldwide.com>
toHarmanpreet Kaur <harmankaur.82@gmail.com>, pksharma@woodlandworldwide.net
mailto:ccchamanlal64@hotmail.com
date Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 12:39 PM
subject Re: Customer Complaint

Dear Ms.Kaur,
We will certainly look into the issue and develop certain models for trekking and outdoors for women.Pls let us know your foot size and we will try to arrange something for you sooner.Thanks for your valuable comments.

Regards,
Harkirat Singh.

from Harmanpreet Kaur <harmankaur.82@gmail.com>
to Harkirat Singh <harkiratsingh@woodlandworldwide.com>
ccpksharma@woodlandworldwide.net,chamanlal64@hotmail.com
date Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 1:58 PM
subject Re: Customer Complaint

Thanks for your response! My foot size is 5.
Rgds

Now, I still don’t believe I wrote this, but I did – my emotional agitation was deep, and I was feeling sarcastically comical.
Ha! And I’ve just realized that my friend Anjali in Aberdeen shares similar grievances!! She read my email complaint and tells me that she too has been unable to locate good trekking shoes under various brands online! In her words, "I found funny baby blues and shiny pinks and NOTHING AT ALL SUITABLE."

The situation of women’s trekking shoes is abysmal in this world! I demand the same shoes that women wear on Nat Geo/Globe Trekker.
But, I do feel like an empowered consumer. And as my friend suggests, I hope I’m in for a free pair of boots here.

Women's Lib and Global Citizenship 

I had once gone to a Govt Liquor shop in east Delhi for a story shoot. This shop was next to a school and thus a nuisance. There was a bee line of men from a lower socio-economic status, waiting to purchase their quota of liquor for the day. But then I spotted a woman in a saree. She came quietly, went to a separate counter, slipped a bottle of rum inside her pallu and left. I was amazed, and bemused. It didn't matter if she was buying it for her aadmi or herself. I think it was admirable. 

Whenever I cross the Badarpur border on my way to work, I make it a point to notice an old feeble cobbler who always wears a smile on his face in the corner of the road. There is always a middle-aged dusky skinned woman sitting next to him talking. One day, I watched them smoking a beedi together. There was the utmost peace and joy on both their faces. There could not be two people so different from each other, enjoying a moment of unity. 

When I was in Mumbai, working with CNBC-TV18, life could not have been more lonely. Thanks to two college friends---Vijay and Lakshna, it was so much more easier starting out on my first job in the big city, living expensive but being poor. There is a very shady joint behind the Colaba Causeway called Gokul's. From outside it resembles a British Inn. Me and Lakshna went there at the behest of Vijay, and we had the most amazing beer, tandoori chicken and fried eggs, in that smoky joint full of single men having their drinks in quiet corners, away from their wives and the world. This was a moment, that none of us have forgotten. 

So, is there a problem here? A problem in spending time with people you like and eating and drinking whatever you enjoy. Isn't it all about community? Don't all our cultures, have a sense of community? During Eid, we cook. During Diwali, we cook. During Christmas, we cook and drink. During Holi, we cook and drink. 

This is why the attack on women drinking in a pub in Mangalore is a problem. Its not a debate about "pub culture" or "Indian culture". It's a debate about gender insensitivity and gender politics. It's about the equality of the sexes. Throughout history, women have not been allowed to be free to maintain the status-quo of male dominance. The reason why, attacks on women not just in pubs, but in the villages, and streets of our city occur is because of this psychology and social structure. 

It's true, that these get "footage" in the media, when the middle or the rich classes get targeted. It is the "we never thought it'd happen to us" mentality.  

A noted journalist wrote in her blog, that while we oppose the Muthaliks of society, we must also not imitate Sex and the City by sending pink underwear to him. This is a gross stereotype by a woman herself! I do not understand why she would equate modern activism with a commercial film. For me, this gesture of sending pink chaddi's to the scum of a man, is almost similar to bra-burning in the 60's and women's lib. It's an individual expression of a group of people, which include men. The only way to deal with people like Muthalik and his cronies, is embarassment. Gandhi wanted to embarass the British too. 

In today's world, where geographical boundaries cease with the easy flow of information, art and film, is there something wrong in imbibing ways of life that appeal to us? If I can wear Levi's Jeans, made in America, why can't I go to Hard Rock Cafe and have a mug of beer? Or for that matter, listen to African music, eat Tibetan food, and wear kohlapuri chappals.  

Why is there a hue and cry about Danny Boyle making a movie about India when an Indian director, Shekhar Kapur can make a film about an English Queen? 

"Imagine no country.........", sang Lennon. I don't know what is idealistic and what is real. What is plausible, is that we all became Citizens of the World. 

[Photo Credit: Claude Renault]