Sunday, November 4, 2001		Article

Is Indian cinema sexist?

AKSHAYE Khanna’s role in Bollywood’s latest super-hit, Dil Chahta Hai has revived the debate among Indian feminist organisations on the perpetuation of female stereotypes on the Hindi screen. Never before has a 40-plus heroine (in this case, Dimple Kapadia) been shown to romance a man many years younger to her.

"This is a unique case of complete role reversal," film critic Priya Kotiyan points out. "And the best part is that the audience has applauded it. Otherwise, we’d have continued to live with the notion that there is no life for a woman past her forties, whereas men in their sixties are entitled to romance girls half their age."

Examples cited include that of a 59-year-old Amitabh Bachchan being shown in Aks to be married to Nandita Das, who is young enough to be his daughter.

Other examples being mentioned of trans-generational relationships are Gadar (Sunny Deol-Amisha Patel), Lamhe (Anil Kapoor-Rani Mukherji), Agnisakshi (Nana Patekar-Manisha Koirala), Lamhe (Anil Kapoor-Sridevi) and Deewana (Rishi Kapoor-Divya Bharati).

"When heroines hit the troublesome thirties, they are kicked upstairs," observes Meenakshi Sheede, another critic. "Poor Rakhee, who played Amitabh Bachchan’s lover in Kabhi Kabhi, Kasme Vadde, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat and Trishul, suddenly became his mother in Shakti!"

Ditto for Waheeda Rahman — she was Bachchan’s wife in Kabhi Kabhi, but became his mother in Mahaan. "And of course, when heroine like Kajol, Juhi Chawla or Madhuri Dixit get married, they literally falls off the map," adds Kotiyan.

Suggestions that "no such thing happens to heroes" are countered by arguments of Dilip Kumar being allowed to grey with dignity in Shakti and Saudagar, as also of Naseeruddin Shah in Sir and Sarfarosh. Bachchan too has acted his age in Sooryavansham, Mohabbatein and Ek Rishta. (MF)