Of female bonding, sexuality and feminism

The third, a theatre and film actor who leaves a lasting impression irrespective of the length of her characters. And being in the same room as them could be very intimidating. However, with their nonchalance and effortless wit, Shabana Azmi, Aparna Sen and Lillete Dubey, who were in the city for an event, ‘A Sonata for the Woman In you’, organised by FICCI FLO, made the conversation thoroughly entertaining. Though primarily an event to promote their upcoming film Sonata, the trio spoke about myriad issues including the need to celebrate female bonding, how men are threatened by a woman who celebrates her sexuality, the CFBC’s high-handedness, and even Yogi Adityanath. 

Sonata, that releases on April 21, explores the psychology of three unmarried women — Professor Aruna Chaturvedi (Aparna), banker Dolon Sen (Shabana), and journalist Subhadra Parekh (Lillete). They are a bunch of women who face complexities and isolation in the backdrop of a modern-day life. They drink wine, talk about their desires but are also socially conscious, ensuring that no one hears them. In the trailer, they claim, ‘What awful creatures we are — no commitment, no aim, no ideology, we are not even feminists’. The statement has taken many by surprise, considering it comes from some of the most vocally feminist figures in cinema. “This is the ultimate sort of bad thing we can say about ourselves. But, it’s the characters speaking and it’s said in good spirits,” said Lillete, adding that such a situation was unlikely here hinting at the unavailability of alcohol at ITC Chola due to the recent SC ban. Aparna interrupted, “The best part about these characters is that they’re are not aware of the fact they’re true feminists. These women are unmarried, successful and doing the work they love — they’re basically empowered and in control of their lives.” Shabana added, “The line, which is quite provocative, has been very cleverly put in the trailer. You can call this sequence our little item number. Also, the fact that it’s been written by a man from the female gaze makes it more interesting.” 

The film has also been directed by Aparna. “Throughout the shoot she would say, ‘I’m terrible and useless, I can’t act and I shouldn’t be in the movie’. But she also bullied me into singing for this film,” said Shabana animatedly. “It hate both jobs with passion. Also, I couldn’t supervise these two as much as I would have if I were not acting,” added Aparna.    

Female bonding takes centrestage in this film. “There is a misconception that there’s a lot of back-biting among women. In reality, there’s a sisterhood among women that’s existed through generations. Even in orthodox families where women weren’t allowed to go out, they formed bonds and a strong support system. They share the same limitations due to patriarchy. The kind of social bondage they had to endure irrespective of their circumstances is what they all had and have in common. It is something that men cannot share — the fact that you menstruate, the fact that you can give birth to children, the fact that you emote differently to most things. This bond needs to be celebrated,” explained Aparna. “Women constitute 50 per cent of the society, and we need to be included in the dialogue that’s taking place — be it in art or politics or finance,” added Shabana.   

The conversation veered towards the high-handedness of the CBFC which had recently rejected certification for her daughter and actor Konkana Sen’s latest film, Lipstick Under my Burkha . “The minute a woman asserts her sexuality, people have a problem and refuse to accept it. By not giving certification to a film, you are stopping it from being shown to the audience it was made for. And that is infringement of a filmmaker’s freedom of expression — a democratic right. It’s very shameful and I strongly believe the CBFC is not needed,” said Aparna in a matter of fact tone.  

Speaking of freedom of expression, Aparna who has a compelling repertoire with pathbreaking films that have grappled with issues that are social ( Paroma, Sati), environmental ( Jua ganta ) and political (Mr and Mrs Iyer ), has faced the wrath of fringe elements and self-appointed custodians of the respective issues herself. “When I made Sati in 1989, which was set in the 18th century and talked about Hindu fundamentalists taking us on, I wondered if such regressive portrayals were relevant anymore. Sadly, I see extensions of it in society and politics even today. Take Yogi Adityanath who makes deplorable statements about women and hate speeches about minorities, is now running a state as large as Uttar Pradesh. So, irrespective of backlash, filmmakers need to reflect the society and keep dialogue alive,” she finished.