When I watched the video by Indian actress Kalki Koechlin, it left me speechless. I was amazed by the way Kalki presented such a complicated and sensitive subject in an effective manner. Actually, I saw not only one but two amazing videos on that day second one was by Tracey Spicer. I suggest readers watch both of them, they deal with totally different subjects but believe me you won't regret watching them. The first one was more special because this was the first time I saw an Indian actress commenting so boldly about issues related to gender discrimination in our society. She touched on almost every area related to this issue (religion, politics). It's not the first time that I have seen or heard talk like this, there are many videos like this on the internet but mostly by some non-Indian celebrities or some feminist activists. Normally, Indian movie celebrities are very conscious and careful about their image. They don't want to comment on any sensitive issue that can become controversial or hurt someone's religious or political feelings. Somehow these religious and political feelings of many people get hurt by almost anything. They can get hurt by a book, a movie, a stage play, a painting, or even some cartoon. But surprisingly these feelings don't get hurt by communal riots, inflammatory speeches, fatwas, forceful religious conversions, discriminatory practices, or rituals. Somehow they get hurt only by some criticism directed to them in any form. I applaud the courage of Kalki, she dared to do something that no other Indian actor or actress dared to do in the beginning stages of their career. Maybe she will be branded as an atheist or feminist who is painting a negative picture of our society, maybe she will lose some of her fans because of some comments she made about religion and society but I think she cares little about all this. Actually, I read this monologue a few days before, but it was not that effective because it was too lengthy to read and it didn't have the same effect that it had when I watched it. The video is much more impactful, maybe because of the way she presented it. I have seen some plays like this in Marathi but this was the first act by some mainstream Bollywood actress. Please watch the video, and understand the message it wants to convey. Thank you very much Kalki for this, I hope you become a prominent voice against any type of discrimination in India.
Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.
[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]
Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.
Links:
1. An intense piece about the truths of womanhood kalki performance
2. AIB: It's Your Fault
3. The lady stripped bare: Tracey Spicer at TEDxSouthBankWomen
Hi Vinay,
ReplyDeleteHope you are doing fine.
Thanks for suggesting this wonderful video. It is no doubt a brilliant speech and very 'to the point' at that. It is truly amazing to note so many points covered and so many issues presented so effectively and effortlessly by someone and that too in too short a time.
You have mentioned that some Marathi plays have also dealt with such topics. Could you please mention some of those for reference. I would be interested to watch them.
Thanks again.
Actually none of those plays run any more, I remember one "Me Savitri" it was one act play based on life of Savitribai Phule, but I dont remember name of the actress who presented it. There are few on suppression of women in society and domestic violence like Sakharam Binder, Barister, Tya char Yoninchya Goshti. Some of them don't exclusively deal with these subjects but one can see author's attempts to bring up these issues, that's the reason I like Marathi stage and books they try to do some off beat things.
DeleteI hope our main stream cinema shows same courage and determination to tackle these issues because I believe in this quote by Oscar Wilde "'Paradoxically though it may seem, it is none the less true that life imitates art far more than art imitates life."
Vijay Tendulkar had the gift of bringing out pointed socioeconomic and political issues. 'Sakharam Binder' was one such masterpiece dealing with women's issues. I also liked his 'Umbartha' directed by Jabbar Patel.
DeleteWill try to look for CD's of the ones you have suggested if at all they are available in the market.
The biggest problem for womenkind are women. Women are threatnened by other women but not men (ie threat not of the violent kind but threat of poplarity, of looks, of clothes she wears, of intellgence etc). Women bitch about other women but they wont bitch about any men. Women supress their sons and daughters.
ReplyDeleteyour observations are really unique, if I can call them so...isn't same thing true for men in present society (that they mostly feel threatened by other men, professionally, they compete for looks with each other, etc.)?? I am really impressed by your conclusion that women suppress their sons and daughters..I wonder on what basis you derived this great conclusion??
Deleteanonymous,
Delete[[Women supress their sons and daughters]]
What kind of non-sensical statement is that? What at all does that mean? Your statement needs research my friend. Pls show evidence or narrate examples that can be verified.
[[Women are threatnened by other women but not men (ie threat not of the violent kind but threat of poplarity, of looks, of clothes she wears, of intellgence etc).]]
None of your statments makes any sense. But if at all we try to make out the slightest sense of it: Competition is in our genes my dear anonymous. Survival of the fittest is the rule of nature. So naturally there are some behaviours and tendencies in both men and women which exhibit our primitive instincts. Man has drifted from this rule of survival ever since he has shifted to an agrarian and civilised society. However, the primitive instincts do remain hidden in our genes.
You talk of women bitching about other women. Isn't that natural in terms of competition? If women bitch about other women it is a need for supremacy. Everyone has a natural attraction for supremacy. Even men fight with other men for supremacy. But bitching by women hardly affecting mankind. Look at what man has done in competing with other men. What are all the battles and World Wars? Isn't that a struggle for supremacy? Man vs. Man. And they affect mankind to a great extent.
It's time you wake up dear friend and learn to take ownership of your mistakes and wrongdoings rather than putting all the onus of women. You are a coward and a hypocrite.
- Parashar
Thanks a lot Parashar for your comment...questioning such thoughts and debating to prove them wrong is the only way to change the society thanks for participating in the discussion.
Delete[[isn't same thing true for men in present society ]]
ReplyDeleteIn a word 'No'.
and I dont have idle time to conclude for you. Work it out yourself.
You can live in your own cocoon..may be it's good for you..but be careful when you come out of it you might find altogether different world with equal rights to men and women...and please don't feel surprised or shocked by that. No need to conclude anything for me, just back up your statements with some reliable evidence that's more than enough. Thanks
DeleteYou will find that it is you who needs to wake up.
ReplyDeleteTry to get out a bit more and observe the world around you.
Sure, thanks for suggestion. I also suggest you to practice what you preach. I don't have a talent of writing anything in sleep so I think you will be happy to know that I am awake, actually I started this blog to wake up people like you. Whatever I write is based on my personal experience, if you have different personal experience than my experience then please share it I have no problem with it, I am sharing my experience you go ahead and share yours, very simple.
DeleteYes and one more thing. You say we should observe. It is you needs to "observe" or learn how to do it if you don't know. Observing the world through a red goggle will only show you a red coloured world. It takes efforts to shed that colour in fact shed all colors and observe clearly, transparently and with no bias.
Deletesandip
this comment was for anonymous.
Deletesandip m
Anonymous, I can't help but laugh at your comments that women keep bitching etc etc. What do you want to prove out of it??? You seem to live in a small world like the proverbial frog in the well who feels the well is the universe.
ReplyDeleteThe worst mistake we all make is never realising that when we make such comments we are talking about almost half the human population on this earth. So you should realise that you cannot make any statement based on no genuine research without having sufficient evidence to back it up.
I am sure you have no such evidence. And you smell to be that old generation MCP who will rather revel in pointing out the dark side of things ignoring the bright half. Can you only see bitching and such things in men??
If I look at some men who are guilty of committing rape, would it be right of me to make a general statement that all men are rapists?
To hell with your statements.
sandip maheshwari
Thanks a lot Sandip for sharing your views. I really appreciate it.
Delete