Culture

“It is pertinent to acknowledge and appreciate the fact that rising against an oppressor does not necessarily have to be as violent as the sentiment suggests. It can be a nuanced and creative expression, be it through dance, music, or drama.”

“Cinema is a powerful mirror for our society, which has the power to reach the masses, and in turn, can change how we view ourselves within said society. All cinema industries in India shy away from the representation of the LGBTQ+, that is from toying with their audience’s preconceived notions of sexuality. And when they choose to do so, they under-represent, misrepresent, and brush the verisimilitude under the carpet.”

“The worshipping of the female energy in Bengal has been a tradition since ages, and the female trinity of Durga-Kali-Jagadhatri conjures up an excellent example. Jagadhatri is a part of Durga, the revered feminine energy. While Durga is a slayer, Jagadhatri is a sustainer. The name Jagadhatri comprises two words: jagat and dhatri which means ‘one who beholds or sustains the earth’ In Chandannagar, Jagadhatri puja is celebrated as the annual festival of its own, surpassing the grandeur of Durga Puja. Acclaimed for its show of lights, during the four days of the Puja the entire town decks up beautifully as food stalls dot its streets and people throng to the pandals.”

“Mainstream representations have been far from reality. Needless to say, this gets translated in our quotidian lives as well wherein kids emulate these characterisations, the repercussions of which, as we know, are unbounded. Films of this decade have been trying to bring forth the ideal-not-so-machoman-kind-relatable male characters, like that of Ayushman Khurana’s Vicky Donor, R. Madhavan’s Tanu Weds Manu series, Imran Khan’s Jane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Ranbir Kapoor’s Barfi, Vicky Kaushal’s Razi, among many others”

Art finds many ways to express itself and people use it to depict their thoughts, feelings, emotions, and more often than not, themselves too. Art brings in a different kind of freedom altogether. One very well known yet intricate form of art takes shape in the form of sculptures. Over the years, sculptures have had their own ways of telling us many stories and their significance in the past.

The fight for gender parity has been going on for decades now. Society has always seen women as housewives with domestic and family related responsibilities. However, women have pushed against such stereotypes and carved out a place for themselves in male-dominated places, and they continue to do so even today.

The Covid-19 induced pandemic has certainly changed our way of doing things - the ‘new normal’ demands that we wear masks for our own safety as well as our family’s. Is it the first time though that masks have become this indispensable?

Like Sita from Ramayana, it is said that Draupadi was also asked to prove her fidelity after the Mahabharata war ended. Today, commemorating Draupadi as goddess, an international two month long festival is celebrated. Click on the link to read more about Thimithi- firewalking festival celebrated the week before Diwali.

We have seen that across nations and cultures, society has both accepted and not accepted members of the LGBTQ+ community in the armed forces. Though many countries are moving in a positive direction regarding the matter, there are others that continue to maintain a non-inclusive stance. Where does India stand amidst all this?

Chugtai, true to her writing style, lays bare the conflict between law and language. While the law is definite and objective, language is fluid, and through the streams of analogies and metaphors, manages to reach those arenas which the law prohibits, which here are the codes laid down by men to suppress female sexuality. Lihaaf was put to trial because of expected gender norms of female sexuality that it subverted and consequently attempted to challenge the status quo.