It is laughable that the CBFC had problems with such a light film that merely talks about women nurturing their own desires that cross the boundaries of a male-dominated society.“Lipstick Under My Burkha” - of what it seems from the trailer - deviates from the pseudo-feminist norm of throwing off the burkha - a variation on “Kaanton se kheench key yeh aanchal” - where the woman must break the barriers of the stifling patriarchal system to be free in one detail. Not to complain about others’ dreams as they simply happen to be such that cannot be completed without others’ help. This is one of those rare films in which it is difficult to pick a favourite but Konkona’s performance rises among them as she is the one who is not dependent on others to fulfil her desires. Be it Sushant, Konkona, Plabita, Ratna, Vikrant or Aahana, all of them belong to their characters and are impressive.
This is a bold film not because it talks of women’s sexuality but because it draws attention to their desires and problems and does so in the most glaring colours.Īlankrita has an army of wonderful actors to support her engaging movie. Lipstick under my Burkha brings in a lot of issues - from dictates on women’s clothing to forced sex in a marriage, it addresses all of them boldly. The film is a subdued conversation starter - let us talk about women’s desires as well as their rights, let women open up about their dreams. Lipstick Under My Burkha is no didactic piece on how women should be treated, neither is it an all-out-war against patriarchy.
The small town setting enables the four characters to be part of each others’ lives and eventually come together. She has to hide her desires of a becoming a singer under a burkha, thanks to her orthodox parents.Įvery character in the film deals with different kinds of prejudices and restrictions but eventually, they prove to be the same - curbing the freedom of women. Rihanna (Plabita) is a young college girl who idolises Miley Cyrus and wants to follow her fashion style. Leela (Aahana) is a free-spirited woman who feels suffocated in the small town of Bhopal and uses her sexuality to manipulate the men in her life. Bua jee aka Usha (Ratna) is a 55-year-old woman rendered devoid of desires because of her age but enjoys reading soft porn hidden in her religious books. Shireen (Konkona) is a housewife who works a salesgirl but needs to hide her job from her husband (Sushant). They have their own set of small, yet, irritating problems dealing with the male-dominated society. And therein lies the beauty of Lipstick Under My Burkha which is set in a small town.Īlankrita shows a very relatable and authentic Bhopal in her movie and her characters are all realistic. Alankrita chooses a subtle narrative style to tell us the stories of four different women who are fighting a male chauvinist society and mindset. The film does not loudly cheer feminism or as CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani calls it, “lady-oriented”. Lipsticks, in the film, are these desires while the patriarchal society is the Burkha. The fact that these desires remain hidden from the society makes their desires seem like adventurous trips. Lipstick Under My Burkha is a simple story about four women and their dreams - of financial independence, of becoming a singer, of moving to a big city and of simply, enjoying life. With all the hue and cry around it, you would expect a film that is all about sex.
0 kommentar(er)
