Assignment : Portrayal of Women in Indian Cinema

Prepared by: Richa Pandya

M.A. English Semester – 4

Roll no- 26

Enrolment No: – 206910842019003

Email id: richapandya163@gmail.com

Batch: 2018- 20

Submitted to: S. B. Gardi Department of English, MKBU

Paper no- 15 Mass – Media

Topic: Portrayal of Women in Indian cinema

 

Abstract

My topic is women in Indian Cinema. I cover the how the Indian cinema portray women. How the camera move in cinema. The position of the woman in Indian cinema. In which movie the women get important. Also I take women in the advertisement and the banner of the school or the tuition class. How the  character  of women show in a movie. Movie how the define women character.  The only female actress’s movies impact on the Indian cinema. The public response on  that movie in which the hero/male not in the movie Only women/actress in the movie. I talk about the female centric movie.

Introduction

in the late 20th century, mass media could be classified into eight mass media industries: books, the Internet, magazines, movies, newspapers, radio, recordings, and television. The explosion of digital communication technology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries made prominent the question: what forms of media should be classified as "mass media"? For example, it is controversial whether to include cell phones, computer games  and video games in the definition. In the 2000s, a classification called the "seven mass media" became popular. In order of introduction, they are:

1.  Print (books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc.) from the late 15th century

2.  Recordings (gramophone records, magnetic tapes, cassettes, cartridges, CDs, and DVDs) from the late 19th century

3.  Cinema from about 1900

4.  Radio from about 1910

5.  Television from about 1950 (Bagchi)

6.  Internet from about 1990

7.  Mobile phones from about 2000

In the India  Hindi cinema Is the major thing. Hindi cinema play a vital role. My topic is portrayal of women in Indian Cinema. In the movie the character of the women portrait in different way. Here I explain the women’s character in the cinema. In media, culture and the development women is the center and main point. Without the women this thing not developed or possible. Because in the every part we see the women. In the culture and developed women  is the center without the women this thing happen. Modern feminism comes into contact with traditional value. The analysis which follows tries to decipher and articulate these point of view. It also attempt to determine the ways in which these films affect the discourse generated by the women’s movement. But before the analysis we summarize the plots of this films.    

Cinema of India

The history of cinema in India extends back to the beginning of the film era. Following the screening of the Lumière and Robert Paul moving pictures in London (1896), commercial cinematography became a worldwide sensation and by mid-1896 both Lumière and Robert Paul films had been shown in BombayDadasaheb Phalke is regarded as the Father of Indian Cinema. Phalke was a visionary gifted enough to foresee the awesome potential of the film medium almost a century ago. Phalke's film 'Raja Harishchandra' was not the first ever Indian film. Rather it was Ramchandra Gopal Torne who bagged the honor by making the film Pundalik in 1912. But Dadasaheb Phalke is the true pioneer of Indian cinema for he laid the basic building blocks of the industry with his creative zeal and persistent efforts. Phalke's decision to join the film-making bandwagon was indeed a bold one, given that the global film industry spawned by the Lumiere Brothers was itself in a nascent stage. He was faced with staggering odds and cynics mocked at his efforts. But unfazed by this brutal skepticism, Dadasaheb Phalke went ahead and brought out his first film in 1913

Women in the Indian Cinema

In the cinema women portrait in different way. In some movie women in the center and the main lead in the movie. So in some movie women in the side and not important character in the movie. Public give a not big response on that movie in which only female character not a male character. The movie can’t success the  without the male/hero. In the movie the women is for the beauty and attract the people by their cloths and the role. in the movie some extent they identify area where modern feminism comes into contact with traditional value. Here I wright movies name  in which only actress. Female based movie like kahaani, Kahaani2, English Vinglish, Queen, NH10, No one killed Jesika, Nil Battey Sannata, Neerja, Mother India and Chapaak. Many other movie in which the female actress in the lead role. this all movies story is different and also a character. But the same point or the theme is women as self-centered in the movies. The many movie based on the history like Manikrna, Raazi, Mary Kom, Padmaavat. This all movie based on the historical story. In some movie women as a powerfull and some movie women like a poor.

The public not give good response on the female centric movie. People like the macho man and hero they don’t like the female centric movie. So the women centric movie can’t earn money and also not a blockbuster. In India people like heroism and the macho man. The women intelligent and clever but they not famous like the men. People want to see  actress like who entertain them, their looks, beauty, dance, always do what their husband like and always pampered their husband. People wants the women always imperial not superial. So the movie like Queen and the fashion not gate good response. Because in the movie director show female as a free minded and portrait as a free and free to what they like. So the people can’t give a good response because they don’t want to see a women in this way.

In the movie women portrait in good way. Show a women as a modern, free minded and on the high power position. In some movie women as a superior than the male like Mardani, Raazi and Nirja in this movie women in power and fight with the problem. Here I take one example of recently released movie Chhapaak. In this movie Deepika’s character of Lakshmi she is a victim of the acid attack. In this movie Deepika play a role of Lakshmi she show the how she feel and how she survival when attack on her. Deepika play a good role of her but people not give good response because in this movie Deepika is looking not beautiful. Because she do a roll of acid attacked victim so she wear a mask. And the mask is burn skin so her beauty is not show on the movie. So the Deepika not get success in this role. on this movie we see the mind set of the people. The story on the real acid attack but people choose the beauty not real story and also watch victims survive.

Cinema portrait women in a both way. In good way r in a bed way. The both side of the cinema show of the women. I Hindi cinema movie the Mother India. In thjis movie main character is Radha (played by Nargis Dutt). She married with Shamoo(played by Raj Kumar). In this movie Radha portrait as a good wife, Good Daughter In-law , mother women. After the Shamoo died she take all responsibility on her shoulder. Radha show as socialist working women and a traditional Indian women. She take care of her son Birjoo and Ramoo. When his son Birjoo bducts a woman from her marriage, Radha takes a stand and tells him to return the girl or she will shoot him. Radha’s act of unity with the girl being abducted is not because of any attachment but an act of unity with the whole of womanhood. In this movie we see the women portrait both way as a working women and homemaker. When the shamoo with them Radha only do a house hold works and when he go after that she stat working in the farm. We see the portrayal of women when her husband with her and when he not with her. See the mind set of the people.The Hindi movie Ki and Ka in this movie the story is different. In this movie the character of the women is a different. The woman character is doing work in office and the man doing work in the home. Some people appreciate this movie and some criticized this movie     

In Gujarati movies

In Gujarati movie we see the women and their position. In old movies we see the women do a house hold works and in the house. The women are in the laj. They never show their face their Father in-law. In movie like Maiyar Ma Mandu Nathi lagtu, Mota ghar ni vahu in this movie women in the house and in the laj. They never go out from the without the permission of her husband or mother in-law. They are traditional Indian women. These are the old movies but in the present time Gujarati movies are different. In present time Gujarati movie represent the women empowerment. They portrait women in free and modern. In present time the Gujarati movie change the way of portrait of women in cinema. In these movie women fight with the problem and against the violence. The movie like “Hellaro”. In this movie we see the women fight with the male by the help of the Garba. The Garba is a dance form of the Gujarat. In this movie women practice of the Garba in desert. In the end of the movie the women from the all the male. Gujarati movie change the show of the Women. The perspective of the portrayal women in the movie is change. In many other movie show women powerful and intelligent.    

Camera moves on the women body

In the cinema camera moves on the women body different way. The take a shot of women body in different way. Camera show women body in bed way. camera moves on the body of women to impress and attract the people. People attract the body of women. Camera start the shoot from down to up on the body. In cinema never show a face of the women direct. Camera moves on the full body of the women and then in the end face show. This thing is unnecessary why camera move like this. This is not important thing. Important thing is the women roll and her position. Attract the people they take women’s part of body which open and people like that scene. In the dancing female character most of the in the item song. The song attract and the movie become a blockbuster. Camera move in different on the male body and the female body.   

Conclusion

Men in most societies were seen as breadwinners while role of women was restricted to being a good homemaker and a good mother. This applies to women in a highly patriarchal society of India. As societies entered the world of modernization, the role of women changed dramatically. Media played an important role in the modernization of societies and greatly affected the image of women in today’s modern world. A number of researches have been done on the role of women in different societies. However little has been said about the importance of films in portraying women in shifting roles over different decades and the impact it has on societies in general. Over past decades, Indian cinema has witnessed a significant transformation in the way women are portrayed through films. Contemporary films portray women as more independent, confident, and career oriented This article deals with these fast changing role of women portrayed in Indian cinema and its influence on the patriarchal Indian society with a focus on some representative Bollywood films. The aim is to link the changing character played by women in films with the emerging status of women in India, as films are a reflection of changes in the social structure.

  

Works Cited

Bagchi, Amitabha. 18 12 1996. 7 3 2020. <https://www.cs.jhu.edu/~bagchi/women.html>.

Wikipedia contributors. "Mass media." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 Jan. 2020. Web. 8 Mar. 2020.

Jump up to:^a b "Dadasaheb Phalke Father of Indian Cinema". Thecolorsofindia.com. Retrieved 1 November 2012.