Sayantani Roy,
Assistant Professor
of English,
Uttar Banga
Maheshwari College,
Siliguri, West
Bengal, India.
Abstract: The
scrutiny of women and the indefinite roles they adhere to have been a subject
of analysis for a diverse period. Remarkably successful as an actress, Aparna
Sen has paved her path as a director of Indian films well. She has been adept
at depicting the intricate nuances of femininity with precision. Oftentimes,
these vivid representations get sidelined among the middle-class milieu because
the desires of women tend to be camouflaged. However, the ignorance towards
these portrayals hasn’t sustained its tenure in the long run. The societal
bandwidth may have been drawn within a definitive space, but the discourses
have begun to peep inside that barrier. The conventional roles that women are
intended to follow hereby transform the course of these films. The established
standards alter a bit, more so for the audience to flinch and let the exchange
take place. The roundtable discussions may not lead to any definite conclusion,
but it does enough for the crossfire to erupt briskly. This paper will examine
this expedition of women, as portrayed by Aparna Sen in films like Paramitar Ekdin and Goynar Baksho.
Keywords: Bengali films, Aparna Sen, Bengali directors, Indian
films, Female emancipation.
Introduction:
Conversations in orthodox Bengali households don’t see much
light of the day whenever it concerns femininity. These don't face any
digression even while depicting them onscreen. One example is the relationship
between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. It is believed that this
relationship is constricted within the barriers of traditionalism. A
daughter-in-law steps inside the household and becomes the centre of attention,
much to the dismay of her mother-in-law. The fight for dominance ensues then.
This bond is never cordial, putting each other at stake for survival. Sen
alters this kind of defined portrayals. The association becomes synchronized at
a particular moment, and there is no looking back thereafter. The disagreements
don’t terminate abruptly, but rather the individuals learn to coexist in their
definite self, without the desperate attempt to invade each other’s space mercilessly.
In their vulnerability, the women in the household learn that the ruthless
influence of one over the other has been shaped by patriarchy for ages. This
hierarchical command has repeatedly been evolving, but this hunt is futile
because the entire narrative is fabricated. The women may keep exercising their
agency over their weaker selves in the corners of the household. In the
meantime, the ultimate pedestal of authority will be occupied by men. Aparna
Sen utilizes this premise and modifies the entire setting in her films. Here,
women try to assert themselves in some form or another, and the strife for
control may penetrate in, but what ultimately subdues them is empathy and
companionship. The rest of the household may remain oblivious to their existence,
but what emerges is the fact that this very relationship acts as their best
half and their only solace in an otherwise solitary confinement.
The key objectives of this research paper are:
⒈ To examine how women have been represented in these two
films.
⒉ To analyse the crux of their crisis and refinement in its
final stage.
⒊ To understand the essence that their bond inculcates
into, and how it emerges into an ultimatum.
Literature Review:
Ranging across various themes, Sen’s films have been
discussed in the context of Indian films. Not limiting herself to Bengali
films, she has had a diverse career that has tested her potential to the brim.
Taking references from her films, 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Paroma (1984),
a note can be taken regarding how these films have explored the different forms
of femininity in their diverse settings.
Methodology:
The methodology that has been used in this paper is
narrative analysis. Narrative analysis can be defined as the individual
dimensions of storytelling in a varied range of experiences that are shared.
Narrative analysis is a powerful tool to study the bandwidth of the
differentiable vortex of the experiences in human beings. Here, film narratives have been analyzed to
trace the context of similarity in femininity.
Theoretical Framework:
‘I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her
shackles are very different from my own.’
Intersectional feminism (Crenshaw, 1989) studies how
gender, class, and identity shape the form of oppression a woman faces. Since
there is heterogeneity, the complex interaction among all these factors gives
rise to a woman's experience of gender inequality. This paper investigates the
multitude of factors displayed in these films through the similar and
differential experiences that those transcend into.
The act of befriending each other for solace and comfort:
In Paramitar Ekdin (2000), one aspect that the
rustic mother-in-law, Sanaka, and the educated daughter-in-law, Paramita, weave
a bond over is the similarity of the crisis faced by them individually. Both of
them have unhappy marriages. Their relationship takes a tumultuous turn when
the husband, Biru, begins blaming his wife, Paramita, for giving birth to a son
with cerebral palsy. Sanaka takes Paramita's side and disses her son for his
sexist remark, stating that Biru's sister Khuku suffers from a disease. This
becomes the point where these women who belong to entirely different
backgrounds merge. Their relationship blooms from a traditional one into an
effortless form of companionship. Sanaka loses her husband, but that doesn't
provide any shock to her. She receives the news of his death while picking a
bone from a fish. It is believed that once a woman steps into widowhood, she is
expected to leave all worldly joys behind. To understand the defeminisation of
the widow, we must read the following lines from the essay What Bengali
Widows Cannot Eat, Here, Chitrita Banerji writes: ‘Hindu Tradition in
Bengal holds that the widow must strive for purity through deprivation’
(Banerji, 2006). But it seems as if Sanaka has developed her sense of newfound
liberty after her husband’s death. Her mundane life finds a new purpose, which
isn't limited to her disabled daughter. She begins accompanying Paramita to
various places, particularly a special school for disabled children where
Paramita’s child, Bablu, gets admitted. Earlier, Sanaka had no idea that people
like Khuku existed in the real world because she had no real exposure. During
one such visit to a restaurant, Sanaka tastes a dish made of fish again,
recollecting a memory of fish being her favourite since her childhood.
Generally, widows are restricted from having non-vegetarian food in Bengali
households. But Paramita’s camaraderie prompts Sanaka to evolve into her liberated
self, which doesn't face any hesitation in disrupting these imposed obstacles.
The final and distinctive acts of liberation:
These visits to the school make them embark on their
respective journeys, where Paramita meets Mr. Shrivastav, a filmmaker and
decides to marry him. It occurs to Sanaka that Paramita's disappearance will
lead to her decadence. She tries to convince Paramita that men aren't able to
provide everything a woman desires. Marriages fail, so do men. The fulfillment
in their lives has advanced to this stage only because they have each other to
hold on to. Her emotions go for a toss when she blames Paramita for leaving her
alone to rot in the household. Sanaka’s abandonment proves to be fatal for her.
In contrast, Paramita begins exploring various dimensions of conjugality. Their
distinctive lives are juxtaposed in such a manner that the audience can
decipher their respective individuality simultaneously. Paramita had the
resources to move on from her unhappy marriage andwas able to build a new world
for herself. But Sanaka’s only redemption arc was her daughter-in-law. That
equation was supposed to prevail by dominance and power. But that prospect
rarely makes any actual difference. Sanka ends up finding her solace in her anticipated
rival Paramita, and that isn’t regulated by any adjustment. This dependence is
coordinated by rapport and solidarity of the other’s state of being. Paramita’s
position of privilege comes from the range that she proceeds, and finds a world
beyond her mother-in-law. Her individuality is promoted once she leaves the
barriers of her previous household.
The oppression of the weaker one and her box of comfort:
In Goynar Baksho (2013), Aparna Sen delves into
the themes of femininity through another lens of womanhood. Adapted from a
story of Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Rashmoni, the widowed aunt of the zamindari
household, welcomes her nephew's wife Somlata with annoyance. Harita, the
writer of Harita Smriti, prescribes certain rules for a widow to
follow:‘ she should give up adorning her hair, chewing betel-nut, taking two
meals a day, she should wear a white garment, should curb her senses and anger,
she should not resort to deceits and tricks, should be pure and of good
conduct’ (ed. Dutt, 1906) Widowed at a young age of eleven years, Rashmoni
cries when her long hair gets cut, and her purpose gets positioned around her
goynar baksho (box of gold ornaments). She throws a fit of temper towards her
family members, especially over her meager meals. She chews betel nut, keeps a
list of the ornaments the box has, adores herself wearing them, and keeps them
safely back. Now that the zamindari finances are on the verge of declining, the
greedy men of the household have an eye on Rashmoni’s goynar baksho. They wait
desperately for Rashmoni to bless the newly-wedded Somlata with her gold
ornaments. But, Rashmoni chooses the lightest bangle and taunts Somlata for her
poor background, and diction. However, Somlata’s innocence makes an impression
on Rashmoni and she chooses her to take care of the Goynar Baksho after her
death. When the greedy sister-in-law of Somlata steps in and demands a fifty
percent stake of the goynar baksho, Rashmoni’s ghost paralyses her. Rashmoni
keeps cursing Somlata for her unsophisticated behaviour, but confides all her
secrets in her.'Do you think the men in this house are all saints? All rascals,
scoundrels all. Do you think your father-in-law and brother-in-law will stay
behind? They have one or two kept women. They make merry themselves and leave
me in the house to play with the "jewellery box" toy. Stupid that I
was, I played on’ (Goynar Baksho 1:10:05- 1:11:07).Quoting from The sad,
sexist past of Bengali cuisine, ‘The alienation imposed upon high-caste,
Hindu Bengali women was meant to act as a hormonal suppressant, silencing the
desire more dangerous than hunger for fish or meat: sex…Party line suggested
that widowhood made a woman’s sex drive fickle and vulnerable. A woman’s libido
was a site of such agita that she couldn’t be trusted to keep it quiet, and so
her body needed to be governed’ (Sen, 2017). Rashmoni couldn’t explore herself
because of the restricted norms the household put on her. Whenever she had
gathered enough courage to try and defy them, fate didn’t play to her convenience.
The mutilation of the chain of conflicted interests:
Gathering enough courage to put her family’s finances in
control, Somlata trades some of Rashmoni’s jewellery and opens a sari boutique,
naming it Rashmoni Sarees. The men in the household become outraged because
their zamindari reputation is being put at stake. Rashmoni’s ghost persuades
Somlata to protest, and steps in to take hold of the situation herself.
Rashmoni and Somlata’s relationship goes beyond the ideal setup fit between a
mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Somlatagets cursed by Rashmoni, but Rashmoni
attempts to protect her from the patriarchal subjugation that she had to
undergo in her life. She coaxes Somlata to challenge the norms imposed on her
as a woman. Even the financial autonomy of Somlata is framed through the case
of Rashmoni’s jewels. Being obsessed with her goynar baksho, Rashmoni had a
habit of throwing a fit whenever its contents got disturbed. But Somlata’s
determination to name her boutique after her Pishima (aunt), i.e., Rashmoni,
sets a poignant tone in the film. Her eyes well up when she visits the place.
While she was alive, she wasn't cared for, and people's interest in her was
because of the goynar baksho. Taking another few lines from The sad, sexist
past of Bengali cuisine, ‘Following widowhood, then, high-caste, Hindu
Bengali women assumed the power of mythological creatures dubbed
"husband-eaters" by elders. Responsibility for their husbands' deaths
somehow fell upon them’ (Sen, 2017). Amongst her clan, only her nephew's wife
had this earnest desire to give Rashmoni this recognition. Rashmoni declares
that the boutique belongs to her name, and if any issue arises, the box of
jewels will be there to assist with it. But the jewels must return to their
original place once resolved. Both Rashmoni and Somlata agree to expand the
business through the goynar baksho.
The evolution of identities andtheir decisiveness:
Chaitali is born as a replica of Rashmoni. She is
independent, educated, and strongly opinionated. Somlata sees her daughter as a
reincarnation of Pishima and gifts her the goynar baksho once she becomes an
adult, but she refuses to accept it. Only Chaitali can visualise her
Pishi-Thamma’s (grand aunt) ghost, and even the equation of the duo is entirely
different than that of Somlata and Rashmoni. Somlata was petrified of Pishima,
but Chaitali sees her Pishithamma as her companion. In a particular scene in
the movie, the grandmother and the granddaughter are seen enjoying hookah and
cigarettes together while having a discussion on boyfriends. The time has
elapsed, the equipment has diversified, but the consumption of tobacco through
the ages has remained constant. Chaitali criticises her grandmother's notion of
the institution of marriage, and focuses her attention on the Muktijoddha
Andolon in Bangladesh. Pishi-Thamma advises her to utilise the goynar baksho
for their aid. The Pishima, who was thoroughly attached to her goynar baksho,
decides that it was time to let go of it and exercise it for a greater cause.
Perceiving the fact that her goynar baksho is being devoted to its optimum
utilization, Rashmoni flows into tranquility and leaves the world finally.
The box of jewels as a replicafor the redemption of the
trio:
The goynar baksho that Rashmoni held on to in her life
and after was a manifestation of her worldly desires. In that case, Rashmoni
was just a child when the major events of marriage and widowhood happened in
her life simultaneously. The box of jewels was a harbinger of prosperity and
abundance, a gift of good luck. In the scene where the news of her demise
arrives, Rashmoni is seen getting undressed by her family members through the
reflection of a mirror. The same mirror had earlier showcased Rashmoni as
decked up, when she was stepping into her marital life. The timeline stretches
out, and the mirror showcases Rashmoni in her old age in the same ornaments,
enlisting the ornaments sincerely. The financial condition of the household may
have worsened, and the widowed Rashmoni may have been criticised for her
abusive language. Butthe goynar baksho gave her recognition in her household.
However, the voice that delved deep into her actual state of despair remained
unheard. Rashmoni tried locating avenues, but patriarchy ensured that her
presence dwelt around the goynar baksho itself. In this manner, the goynar
baksho acted both as her salvation and limitation. In a scene, when Somlata
prepares chicken, Rashmoni’s ghost takes in the smell of the dish and enquires
if it's loitya shutki (Bombay duck). Rashmoni talks of this delicious dish as a
memory. After widowhood, her food was kaachakolar sheddho diye bhaat (rice with
boiled green plantain). Rashmoni goes around threatening Somlata in her daily
affairs, directing her not to sleep next to her husband. These envious deeds
pose a question to the viewers: Is it Rashmoni’s actual self who is cursing and
not letting Somlata live her married life peacefully? Or is it her unsatiated
self who has been dictated and held tightly by the clutches of patriarchy? Rashmoni
cannot be defined as the antagonist of the film. Even her ghost is so
apprehensive of her brother and his sons that she has to entrust an unknown
human with her goynar baksho. Rashmoni had developed a perception that the
patriarchal household would exploit Somlata’s innocence. Both Somlata and
Rashmoni are figurative of their traits. Rashmoni was a vulnerable widow who
had to remain her subdued self. After her husband's demise, she had to return
to her parents' house and be dominated by others. Her only mode of rebellion
was to hide her frailty behind strong words and curses. Somlata was a stark
contrast to Rashmoni’s entire personality. Despite being uneducated and naïve,
she was contemplative and mature. Her married status was unsteady when she first
stepped inside the zamindari household. But her insightful self strongly
assured that it was handled purposefully. On the other hand. Chaitali is
privileged in that she doesn't have to fight the battles that her Maa and
Pishi-Thamma had. She grows up opinionated, educated, and independent, for the
same family members raise her with such conviction. She takes cues from her
mother, Pishi-Thamma, and uplifts the goynar baksho for the greater cause.
Conclusion:
Despite being differentially quipped in terms of plot
devices, the two films generate a similar theme in particular. Goynar Baksho
traces its wavelength for three subsequent generations in particular, Paramitar
Ekdin belongs from a contemporary setting in that matter. However, there is
one aspect that has remained as constant. Only a handful of women who had the
privilege of stepping out of the boundaries were able to find or build their
route. The ones who stayed back held on to that one replica, which reminded
them of their salvation. The reminder of oppression and rooting for the
destination simultaneously is where the purpose of the journey lies. Aparna Sen
has picturised this intricately in her narratives.
Works Cited
Primary Sources:
Goynar Baksho. Directed by Aparna
Sen, performances by Moushumi Chatterjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Srabanti
Chatterjee, Shree Venkatesh Films, 2013.
Paramitar Ekdin. Directed by Aparna Sen, performances by Aparna Sen,
Rituparna Sengupta, Sohini Sengupta, 2000.
Secondary Sources:
Banerji, Chitrita. “What Bengali Widows
Cannot Eat.” The Hour of the Goddess: Memories of Women, Food and Ritual in
Bengal. New Delhi: Penguin; Kolkata: Seagull, 2006. 95-104. Print.
Crenshaw, Kimberle. On Intersectionality:
Essential Writings. 2017.
Goswami, Dr. Arunima. “A Journey towards Rediscovery of
the Self of a Woman: A Study on the Film Parama.” Quest Journals (2022): 4. Document.
Kalathil, Jayasree. “Realities and
representations: Aparna Sen's '15 Park Avenue.” Aaina (2006): 5. Document.
Kaustav Bakshi, Rohit K. Dasgupta. “From Teen
Kanya to Arshinagar: Feminist Politics, Bengali High Culture and the Stardom of
Aparna Sen.” South Asian History and
Culture (2017): 21. Document.
Lorde, Audre. The Uses of Anger. (1981).
Sen, Mayukh.The Sad, Sexist Past of
Bengali Cuisine. (2017).
Sengupta, Sreerupa. “Disability, Agency, and
Subjectivity in Aparna Sen’s Three Disability Films: Sati, House of Memories,
and 15 Park Avenue.” Gender and Women’s
Studies (2018): 8. Document.
Yadaw, Sagnik. Ornaments of Power: A
Subversive Look at Two Widows of Indian Fiction (2015): 23. Document.