Page 88 - Masala E-magazine Vol 9 Issue 2 October - November 2017

2010 – 2017

“No means no and when someone
says no, you stop.” These words were
mouthed by legendary actor Amitabh
Bachchan in the 2016 lm, Pink. The
lm came at a crucial time, when the
rape culture in India had become
dominant and regularly spoken about.
Pink addressed society’s unmistakable
double standards, male privileges,
slut-shaming and misogyny women
face on a daily basis. It helped shake
the beliefs of men who think that if they
harass a woman long enough — an
action often displayed in Bollywood
lms in a romantic way — she will
ultimately say yes.

Films that Reinforce Sexist Beliefs:

1970 – 1989

Purab Aur Paschim (1970) showcases
the usual sexist ideologies that most
Bollywood lms tend to portray.
An ideal Indian woman is one who
dresses modestly, touches her
parents’ feet, makes round rotis and
stays at home once the sun sets.
Here, we have one of the rst few
movies that initiated the battle of a
modern woman versus the ultimate
sanskari one. Saira Banu plays a modern woman who wears short plays a modern woman who wears short
dresses, smokes, drinks and has “no idea of Indian values”. She
falls in love with Manoj Kumar, who encourages her to conform to
her real Indian roots. The purity of India makes her see past short
skirts and alcohol, and she converts from the modern girlfriend to
a cultured wife.

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