Well, hello. I hope most of your midterms would be over by now. Mine are. After two hectic weeks of four midterms and three essays, it's finally over. As soon as I got home yesterday, mom had cooked my favorite meal. I had my lunch, painted my nails after a month and plugged in some music. Yes, MUSIC. Where have you been? I thought I would dedicate the entire day to myself, take a long shower and straighten my hair and just relax. After all that was done, I passed out around 6:00 pm yesterday. Then, I woke up in the middle of the night and missed my "own time" with "myself." I made myself a midnight brownie/ice cream snack and decided to watch a movie. I had a choice between 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' and 'Bol.' For some reason, I chose 'Bol' because I had a hazy memory of Shweta writing something about it on Facebook.
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I wanted to write a little review on it because despite my sleepiness, my eyes were opened 'wide' as in WIDE watching this entire movie. I found this movie to be a VERY interesting movie. It takes its league after other artistic, rather realistic movies such as 'Water' and 'Heaven on Earth.' It raises many important issues, those of sexuality, femininity, the differentiation between 'gender' and 'sex' and the societal roles that are associated with gender. It also puts a spotlight on issues such as religion that are minor (due to political ideologies) but prevalent in the movie. It also brings in many of the domestic crimes in focus such as wife battering and beating children. It is a complete film which is comprised of many societal issues in one. I see MANY issues in this movie because I think from a criminological point of view, due to my study. But even if one was to see it without a pre-conceived notion, they would understand the significant questions being asked in this movie. It brings in the issue of honour killing, whether it's a boy or a girl. And in the end, poses the most important question of all. But I won't state it here, because that would just ruin the purpose of you watching it. So, I will leave that idea unstated and I am recommending each one of you to watch this movie. It's a great watch, and worth one's time, yet depressing.
Putting the above listed issues in perspective, the film is primarily focused on the idea of "reproduction" of human beings. It addresses those households who want a "son" and not a daughter. It points to those people who will try countless times to get a son, even though they keep reproducing a daughter. Why? Do you have the economic and financial capability of feeding the children you are reproducing? How many children are you willing to deliver before you reach a son? In this case, you will see that the wife had to bear 14 children. This illustrates the regressive attitude of a male-dominated culture representing the interests of a predominantly patriarchal society. Even though the setting of the movie is in modern-day Lahore, such beliefs are still customary in many parts of India, Pakistan and other countries.
As I said, the movie brings in numerous issues in one plot. It also portrays sick men who would sexually assault children. It sort of brings in the idea of prostitution as well. And how people depend on women to make money through selling their bodies. Now, here is an interesting comparison. It would only make sense if you watch the movie. In one household, where the man is continuously in efforts to reproduce a son and gets only daughters - he does not realize their talents or better yet, their existence. He does not recognize the fact they too can get an education, find a job and support him with probably more income altogether than a son would be able to provide him with. On the other hand, the same man goes to a bawdy-house to teach their kids Urdu and recite the readings of the 'Quran.' And in that house, they have many boys yet one daughter (the prostitute) on which the entire house depends economically. The importance of a female then, in that particular household is worth way more in comparison to the one with 7 girls, uselessly sitting at home.
Apart from this issue, the man or the father in this movie is seen as an authority figure. He does not let his daughters talk and hits his wife every time she opposes him. In fact, she is unable to even speak for her ill health reproducing countless babies for him. One of his daughters take her to the doctor to stop the birth of any more children. That represents the conformist characterization of the 'father figure.' These are some of the domestic issues that one might face today. I know many such girls TODAY whose fathers will not let them do anything without their permission. If they talk back, they are slapped and confined to their room. It may be hard for you to believe and one might think, just call 911. No. It is not that easy. If you are born and raised in a family with a chauvinistic attitude and setting, it is hard for females to take that stand.
To wrap it up, it's a story of a Pakistani girl, Zainab and her angry oppressive father who denies his family their most fundamental rights. The best thing about the movie is that there are so many layers to which your mind entangles - religion, transsexualism, feminism, patriarchal society, chauvinism, right to education, prostitution, honour killing and many more. To carry so much load in one movie, is indeed commendable. I must say that we watch countless useless comedies and other such films by Bollywood each year. On the other hand, Pakistani cinema is not so much of a "popular demand" amongst us.. This movie is a representation of the meaningful movies such a cinema can produce, especially with the lead actor - Atif Aslam.
On the minor, it also addresses some Islamic issues. The differences between 'Sunni' and 'Shi-ah' Muslims are also brought up. I said "on the minor" because they are not given too much light in the movie as it would provoke religious debates. I am in no position to say anything about these issues, since I know the least of each. But it is important to point out that this movie carries a heavy load of all that might be wrong in the society today. I hope this movie will open some doors and put some brain cells to use for men who are so narrow-minded. Female infanticide is one of the most discussed issues in the world today, especially in the South Asian community. It is as much of a crime to kill a baby, as it is to make 14 babies and not care for their existence. Stop freakin' having children if you are not gonna care for them. This is the central message of the movie here. The fight to stop treating and viewing women as lesser beings is on-going. I don't know when it will stop, but watching this movie will definitely get you thinking about the society in a different way. Again, I am recommending it to all of you. Watch it and drop me a comment below with your personal take on it.
________________________________________________________________________________
I wanted to write a little review on it because despite my sleepiness, my eyes were opened 'wide' as in WIDE watching this entire movie. I found this movie to be a VERY interesting movie. It takes its league after other artistic, rather realistic movies such as 'Water' and 'Heaven on Earth.' It raises many important issues, those of sexuality, femininity, the differentiation between 'gender' and 'sex' and the societal roles that are associated with gender. It also puts a spotlight on issues such as religion that are minor (due to political ideologies) but prevalent in the movie. It also brings in many of the domestic crimes in focus such as wife battering and beating children. It is a complete film which is comprised of many societal issues in one. I see MANY issues in this movie because I think from a criminological point of view, due to my study. But even if one was to see it without a pre-conceived notion, they would understand the significant questions being asked in this movie. It brings in the issue of honour killing, whether it's a boy or a girl. And in the end, poses the most important question of all. But I won't state it here, because that would just ruin the purpose of you watching it. So, I will leave that idea unstated and I am recommending each one of you to watch this movie. It's a great watch, and worth one's time, yet depressing.
Putting the above listed issues in perspective, the film is primarily focused on the idea of "reproduction" of human beings. It addresses those households who want a "son" and not a daughter. It points to those people who will try countless times to get a son, even though they keep reproducing a daughter. Why? Do you have the economic and financial capability of feeding the children you are reproducing? How many children are you willing to deliver before you reach a son? In this case, you will see that the wife had to bear 14 children. This illustrates the regressive attitude of a male-dominated culture representing the interests of a predominantly patriarchal society. Even though the setting of the movie is in modern-day Lahore, such beliefs are still customary in many parts of India, Pakistan and other countries.
As I said, the movie brings in numerous issues in one plot. It also portrays sick men who would sexually assault children. It sort of brings in the idea of prostitution as well. And how people depend on women to make money through selling their bodies. Now, here is an interesting comparison. It would only make sense if you watch the movie. In one household, where the man is continuously in efforts to reproduce a son and gets only daughters - he does not realize their talents or better yet, their existence. He does not recognize the fact they too can get an education, find a job and support him with probably more income altogether than a son would be able to provide him with. On the other hand, the same man goes to a bawdy-house to teach their kids Urdu and recite the readings of the 'Quran.' And in that house, they have many boys yet one daughter (the prostitute) on which the entire house depends economically. The importance of a female then, in that particular household is worth way more in comparison to the one with 7 girls, uselessly sitting at home.
Apart from this issue, the man or the father in this movie is seen as an authority figure. He does not let his daughters talk and hits his wife every time she opposes him. In fact, she is unable to even speak for her ill health reproducing countless babies for him. One of his daughters take her to the doctor to stop the birth of any more children. That represents the conformist characterization of the 'father figure.' These are some of the domestic issues that one might face today. I know many such girls TODAY whose fathers will not let them do anything without their permission. If they talk back, they are slapped and confined to their room. It may be hard for you to believe and one might think, just call 911. No. It is not that easy. If you are born and raised in a family with a chauvinistic attitude and setting, it is hard for females to take that stand.
To wrap it up, it's a story of a Pakistani girl, Zainab and her angry oppressive father who denies his family their most fundamental rights. The best thing about the movie is that there are so many layers to which your mind entangles - religion, transsexualism, feminism, patriarchal society, chauvinism, right to education, prostitution, honour killing and many more. To carry so much load in one movie, is indeed commendable. I must say that we watch countless useless comedies and other such films by Bollywood each year. On the other hand, Pakistani cinema is not so much of a "popular demand" amongst us.. This movie is a representation of the meaningful movies such a cinema can produce, especially with the lead actor - Atif Aslam.
On the minor, it also addresses some Islamic issues. The differences between 'Sunni' and 'Shi-ah' Muslims are also brought up. I said "on the minor" because they are not given too much light in the movie as it would provoke religious debates. I am in no position to say anything about these issues, since I know the least of each. But it is important to point out that this movie carries a heavy load of all that might be wrong in the society today. I hope this movie will open some doors and put some brain cells to use for men who are so narrow-minded. Female infanticide is one of the most discussed issues in the world today, especially in the South Asian community. It is as much of a crime to kill a baby, as it is to make 14 babies and not care for their existence. Stop freakin' having children if you are not gonna care for them. This is the central message of the movie here. The fight to stop treating and viewing women as lesser beings is on-going. I don't know when it will stop, but watching this movie will definitely get you thinking about the society in a different way. Again, I am recommending it to all of you. Watch it and drop me a comment below with your personal take on it.
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