patriarchy Archives

What Shyam Benegal’s Hari-Bhari Gets Right About Women’s Right To Their Bodies

While films like Padman and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha have ended up looking like glorified public service cinema with a male saviour complex, Shyam Benegal’s Hari-Bhari is a fine example of building a compelling story about women’s autonomy.

Pragyan Mohanty July 15, 2016

Gender

The Gurgaon Woman’s Misogyny is a By-Product of Slut-Shaming in Schools

In a now viral video, a Gurgaon woman is seen slut-shaming a girl, saying she and her friends “deserved to be raped” because of the clothes she wore. It reminded me of the culture of aunty establishment that has always been prevalent in our schools, where girls were reprimanded for the length of their uniforms.

Jackie Thakkar July 14, 2016

Gender

Does Marriage Spell an End for the Friendships of Our Youth?

When I got married, I had lots more on my plate. I inherited a bunch of my husband’s friends and relatives, and between them and work commitments, I had much less time for my older friends.

Yashodhara Sirur July 7, 2016

POV

Unheeled and High: Why I Ditched Heels and Found Empowerment in Flat Shoes

After a nightmarish high school party, where I hobbled with every step, I abandoned high heels. Grounded in my flats, I have travelled through the ups and downs of life, comfortably and confidently. Some say stilettos are sexy, they add to your stature, but how can you feel glamorous or powerful when you are uncomfortable?

Lata Gwalani July 7, 2016

Pop Culture

Farewell Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, the IPS Officer Who Inspired Udaan… And a Generation of Women

Doordarshan’s Udaan was inspired by Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, India’s first woman DGP, who passed away earlier this week. The show was a first lesson in feminism for a generation of women. And though many of us fondly remember its protagonist Kalyani Singh, it is Bhattacharya we need to doff our hats to.

Chandrima Pal July 6, 2016

Gender

India’s Epidemic of Sex Crimes: Do Desi Fathers Ever Talk to their Sons About How to Treat Women?

The Indian father-and-son duo may share a drink together, but they almost certainly never arrive at a conversation about how to treat women. I, myself, cannot remember if my father, after he had had a quarrel with mom, ever came to tell me that I was not supposed to behave the same.

Manik Sharma July 2, 2016

Pop Culture

How India and Pakistan Made Adolf Hitler Pop-Culture Friendly in their Movies

Over the years, Bollywood has freely used references to Adolf Hitler to denote a certain kind of behaviour in men. In 3 Idiots, Rancho addresses Farhan’s dad as Hitler Qureshi for his strict and authoritative nature and in Krodh, Suneil Shetty earns the moniker because he is extremely protective of his five sisters.

Sayantan Mondal June 29, 2016

Pop Culture

Chauvinism Has Met Its Match: Meet India’s Dissenting Women Artists

The last few months have seen the rise of poetry and parody as powerful tools of protest. And leading the revolution are artists such as Megha Rao and Saloni Gaur, popularly known as Nazma Aapi. The emergence of a clear voice by India’s women is a comforting reassurance that their perspective will be recorded.

Nair Da June 29, 2016

POV

Is Botox to a 40-year-old, What a Bikini Wax Is to a 25-year-old?

I do not hold a high-profile, high-maintenance job. And I am certainly not a star who needs to look radiant every single day. I’m an average, middle-class woman in her 40s. Am I still eligible for that botox shot?

Chandrima Pal June 25, 2016

Bollywood

Ranveer Singh: Making Femininity Manly Again

How many Indian men can so lightly embody the many contradictions of Ranveer Singh? In our determinedly binary society, his love of lehengas on anyone else might have garnered epithets of “sissy” or “hijra”. But then, as his infamous t-shirt once declared, Ranveer always makes one thing abundantly clear: he’s got no fucks to give.

Kahini Iyer June 15, 2016