The Feminist Characters in Dibakar Banerjee's Bollywood Films Are a Welcome Diversion from the Typical Fare

 

The Feminist Characters in Dibakar Banerjee's Bollywood Films Are a Welcome Diversion from the Typical Fare



Without even providing us with a huge selection of projects to pick from, some filmmakers have been able to leave an effect on us with their small body of work. And when it comes to Bollywood, Dibakar Banerjee is one of those underappreciated writers who has provided us with engaging stories—something that is getting less and less common in Hindi cinema these days.

Banerjee has only produced a small number of films, all of which are extremely outstanding, thus we have just a small number of characters from his universe that we have seen so far. Instead of merely examining the filmmaker's interpretation of a story, the emphasis this time is on the female protagonists we have come to know in his films.

The women characters in the director's films so far seem to be pretty fascinating and quite different from what we generally see, even though he hasn't totally embraced a woman-centric plot.

First off, despite having a cast that was primarily male and was led by Abhay Deol, the National Award-winning movie Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! featured a female heroine who wasn't just regarded as arm candy. The handling of Neetu Chandra's character Sonal is actually extremely novel since the film's concept is a social critique of Indian class consciousness disguised as a criminal comedy.

The quiet but independent girl was always portrayed as existing independently of the male protagonist despite frequently being by his side. It's been really rare in our movies up to this point for a tale to focus solely on a male protagonist while still giving the other characters, especially female characters, room to develop.

The movie makes the claim that a female character doesn't always have to exist in the huge shadow cast by the male protagonist, even when she has a smaller role.

Through his anthology story in the movie Lust Stories, which followed a few more intriguing forays in almost a decade, the director provided a tale and a character that was quite vital to bring to light. Three friends, Salman (Sanjay Kapoor), Sudhir (Jaideep Ahlawat), and Reena (Manisha Koirala), are the focus of Banerjee's episode, which delves into their love triangle.

The primary character, Reena, is having an affair with Sudhir, Salman's best friend because she is tired of being married to him. It is noteworthy that the subject has been handled with such maturity and sensitivity, as well as the subtlety with which the filmmaker has portrayed his clearly flawed protagonist.

Due to the filmmakers' lack of awareness up to this point, women have long been portrayed in Hindi cinema in a way that is either comfortable for the public to watch or both. The characters are constructed in such a way that they frequently have little control over their bodies and show no signs of sexual arousal.

Banerjee eliminates the stigma associated with a woman's aspirations by giving his heroine Reena, a wife and mother, the most power. At its foundation, the novel tackles the protagonist's dissatisfaction that she has little control over her life, even though the story's surface topics may include marriage, love, family, and motherhood.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, Dibakar Banerjee's final film, is a masterfully written and compelling story that stands out from other motion pictures due to its unique perspective on women's standing in the country. Even though this subject has received a lot of attention, the author managed to subtly present the same story.

In the Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra-starring movie, two peculiar people from various socioeconomic backgrounds in Delhi-NCR are on the run. The unconventional premise of the movie isn't the only thing that elevates it; it also boasts of an overtly feminist theme that centres on a powerful yet frail woman.

In the director's distinctive storytelling style with dark undertones to reveal society's intolerance, we watch Sandeep, a rather strong woman, submit to patriarchal customs. His story is notable for the fact that the author never allows a male to save a lady, even when he is present. Sandeep manages to save herself in the end, despite the situation.

Bollywood frequently creates situations that hardly ever allow the independent female characters to be the "hero" of their own tale. Banerjee shattered the mould by breaking expectations and demonstrating what it really means to give female characters freedom to grow.

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