Dawat-e-Ishq Speaks About Dowry-ism in India

Pic Credit:xcitefun

Bollywood has been concerned with many of the women's issues that have put India on the map. This is one review I had been craving to write, perhaps more than even Finding Fanny (which was a great film- more Woody Allen style, but the critique of that film can wait, I think). As a huge Bollywood and Aditya Roy Kapoor fan, I was keenly awaiting the release of Dawat-e-Ishq (Feast of Love, 2014). Thinking it was going to be the typical rosy-Bollywood love story, I had no idea that there would be a surprise of the social message that film aspired towards in its content.

Pic Credit: boxofficecapsule

Directed by Habib Faisal and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Chopra banner, right from the start, the film begins with a comical scene. Gullu (Parineeti Chopra), a motherless middle class Indian woman raised by her father (Anupam Kher), Gullu aspires to become someone. However, she constantly comes across dowry-seeking men who try to use marriage as an economic transaction to pursue their career and dreams. Gullu dreams of leaving Hyderabad and migrating to the United States so that she can become a well-known fashion designer.

The film speaks of the lives of Indian Muslims, which is a community least represented in Indian popular culture. Perhaps, the most endearing and poignant representation was in M.S. Sathyu's Garam Hawa (Hot Winds, 1973)  who are trying to adjust living in post-Partition India. The film honors and respects their colorful culture.

pic credit: Indianexpress

Now, lets focus on the crux of the issue that this film seeks to unpack. It speaks about the age-old problem that has plagued India for centuries - dowry! My late grandfather too used to write plays in Hindi about the issue writing about women who are empowered and stand for what they believe in. Here, too, Gullu does exactly that even for Amjad (Karan Wahi), a man she briefly sees before his family demand an atrocious amount of money for his further MBA studies in America. She walks out on him finally coming with a scheme to trick these dowry-hungry families and trick them into giving money and later accusing them using the Indian law 498a, which punishes families for asking for dowry.

While I won't give away what happens during the course of the film, the film addresses many salient points that are relevant to India's modern reality for Indians. The issue of dowry coupled with the status of women whose lives are determined by the economic status of their families often limits them from becoming someone or pursuing their dreams. While Gullu (in a true Yash Chopra style) is of course lucky in love and meets a man, Tariq (Aditya Roy Kapoor) who wants to marry for love and even helps her with the dowry.

Youtube.com

This film is worth watching for its songs especially Sonu Nigam's "Mannat" but also for the chemistry that Kapoor-Chopra bring to the table! Of course, let's not forget how this film speaks profoundly about dowry-ism within the Indian community, specifically the Indian Muslim community that inhabits India. 

Fear No More: Easily Accesible Website Now Available To Domestic Abuse Victims

Image Credit: Domesticshelters.org

October is the Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic abuse is a universal phenomenon much like the recent emerging rape crisis in Asia especially in countries like India and Malaysia. Crimes such as domestic abuse, rape, and sexual violence are hush-hush within any community. In my past teaching experiences, as a teaching assistant to the "Introduction to Women's Studies Course" at University of Western Ontario, I was approached by a student who told me that because these issues are such taboos, society silences the voices of the victims due to stigmas and taboos that surround these particular issues. Her emotional words have stayed with me all these years. Honored to be approached by Chris McMurry, director of Theresa's Fund. We engaged in a fascinating discussion about the ways in which technology now plays a key role especially in the social sector.

 Recently launched, Theresa's Funds with partnership with the National Coalition of Domestic Violence (NCADV), domesticshelters.org is the very first searchable online database of domestic violence and includes about 3,000 of the agencies in the US. When someone visits this mobile-friendly website, any one can find the near domestic shelter based on their location, services, and language preference. Easily accessible to anyone who is in desperate need to get out of the relationship, I found that as a young woman of twenty-eight years who is constantly engaged with social media for both social and intellectual purposes, I can truly attest to the value that this particular website offers especially within the South Asian community. McMurry informed me a surprising statistic that, "approximately half of the online searches nowadays take place through mobile phones." Because this particular search engine is mobile-friendly, victims have easy access to the three pillars of the services that it offers: "Find Help," "Be Safe," and "Get Smart." "Find Help" is a tool that allows you to get help in your language (available in international languages including sign language). "Be Safe" is a tool that allows you to escape detection by clearing your browsing history and clicking on "leave the site." Finally, "Get Smart" is an education tool to aid in making good decisions. 

                                             

Sylvia Torralba, membership director of NCADV, says, "The great news is that there are many good people, organizations and providers trying to help, and in fact, helping.” She further added, "With some 36,000,000 million searches a year in just the U.S. on the topic of domestic violence, domesticshelters.org is an overdue and much-needed concept that may help more people than any other service ever offered in this space, and may help save lives because it will be so easy, accessible and fast to use."

The organizers of the site worked endlessly for more than six months identifying 3,001 domestic violence provider organizations in the United States. 

The origin of the website was born out of the need as McMurry noticed that on the first few pages of the Google search engine. There will be perhaps attorney websites, national organizations, state coalition, and maybe a shelter or an organization on the first page. As the director of Theresa's Fund, he realized that there was a prominent gaping hole as there was no single site that made finding services fast and easy. The younger generation, he said, barely calls on the phone but uses the phone for Facebook, Texting, and online searches. This website, in particular, is mobile-safe to avoid the abuser from gaining access as the victim can easily access on the phone's browser without getting caught. 

To sum it up, as times are changing, technology is playing a vital role in the social sector. This mobile-friendly website indeed is a turning point especially when it comes to domestic violence - according to Google more than 3,000, 000 searches are conducted per month (a scary statistic!).  

Images courtesy: Chris McMurry

Mary Kom: Can A Woman Indeed Have It All?

Mary Kom/Celebden

In recent times, Indian women are gradually coming into the limelight. For Anokhi Media, I have recently taken an interview with Asia's upcoming female comedienne and actress, Sharul Channa upcoming in the next month! 

While Deepika Padukone has recently made headlines with the Times of India recent photo gallery showcasing popular Bollywood actresses including Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan caused a controversy in Tinseltown drawing the issue of women's rights into the lime light once again. That being said, India's Film Industry has been attempting to make films, which raises awareness of women's rights in India. 

Although politically, I am a humanist and my heart feels compassion and empathy for all those who are suffering in need - men, women, child, and others who do not fit into one category or another. These are issues that do concern me because India continues to be remained with female infanticide, rape and sexual violence, child sexual abuse, and so on. 

Bhansali Productions, known earlier for blockbuster hits such as Ram Leela (2013) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1998) released Mary Kom - a biopic starring Priyanka Chopra. The movie is about a young woman's dream to break boundaries and emerge as India's first woman boxer who has won several championships. What makes her dream possible is the support she receives from her family and life partner who encourage her to follow her dreams against all odds. Mary Kom goes on to win world championships. 

Priyanka Chopra With Mary Kom/IndiaToday

What perhaps make this film stand out among others is that it highlights the issue of racism that continues to run within India's nervous system especially when it comes to the people of North-east India commonly called "Chinkis" because they have many features that makes them look more Chinese supposedly and stereo typically than most Indians. Much like the North-South differences that continue to be apparent in India, there have been many attempts in media especially through advertisements (See Amitabh Bachchan's KBC episode). 

Throughout this film, we are able to see many experiences that the men and women from this part of the region experience on their daily lives. To have a woman fighter borne out of these circumstances is something that serves as a reminder that India's history and culture are much more richer than what meets the eye. Furthermore, this particular film is the perfect example of the power that popular culture has. If this film had not been made, we probably would have never heard or known about the success that Mary Kom had accomplished for her India! And as Indians, we should be proud and more accepting of those who are different from us! 

The Real Mary Kom exclaimed after watching the film to Indian Express,“What makes me happy is that my story and whatever it may contain to inspire younger generations, would now be taken far. Now the story of my struggle has gone to every corner of India." Indeed, where this story makes the most mark for me is that Mary Kom is the living proof that women can have it all - a career and a happy home if she receives the right type of support from her family and life partner. 

While obviously it is hard to overlook that her life is somewhat romanticized as a biopic, what makes it hard-hitting is that it is based on a real life biography of a woman who overcame difficult circumstances to become a successful boxer bringing India's name to the forefront in international games all around the world. 

This movie is a must-watch for all! 

An Interview with A Rising Star: Indian Idol 4 Star - Rajdeep Chatterjee

Rajdeep Chatterjee 

      .....And I am back!

In the recent months, life has thrown many curve balls at my disposal in my personal life and at that moment, my priority was nothing more than my own family and personal life (as well as care for my own personal being). I have had to take a leave of absence this semester to remain at home. However, being a fan of challenges and fighting them through (thanks to the amazing support system I have and am grateful for), I am now back with a bang to continue to do what I do best - write, analyze, and critique cultural trends. I want to extend my thanks to both Samita Nandy, founder of Centre of  Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS) for introducing us and Indian Idol 4 star and Bollywood Playback Singer Rajdeep Chatterjee for taking his time to answer my questions!

Teen Singing Sensation Rajdeep Chatterjee, 23, has been making waves in the Indian music industry winning the hearts of musical maestros like A.R. Rahman, Anu Mallick, Javed Akhtar, Kailash Kher, Sonali Bendre, Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. Mallick even declared him as the best singer of the season while the Symbiosis Group referred to him as the Jharkand Icon. He has performed with fellow music celebrities including Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, Shreya Ghosal, Shankar Ehsan Loy, Himesh Reshamiya, Mika Singh, and Abhijit Bhattacharya. The judges have referred to him fondly as Mr. Smiley of course for his infectious smile and mature voice. An alumnus of Loyola School, Chatterjee has performed in 450 shows as a professional singer all over the world including in countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Africa, and the Commonwealth Games. Furthermore, he is also the winner of reality show singing competition Fankaar and a finalist in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil' Champs.

I caught up with him after his return to Bombay after his recent performance at the Bollywood Monster Mashup in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada this summer!

Rajdeep Performing at the Bollywood Monster Mashup in Mississauga, Canada 

Nidhi Shrivastava: Thank you for taking the time for the interview. It is an honour. Did you always want to be a singer?

Rajdeep Chatterjee: Yes, music was always in my blood. My parents are musicians themselves (not professional) but they have learnt. So yes, I have been surrounded with music.

NS: What were your first impressions of India's music industry?

RC: The music industry is a dream for all musicians/singers. In this era of intense competition,its actually difficult to say who is good and who is not ,but honestly,I feel there should be more unity and appreciation than politics and negativity in this industry. The rest is all good

NS: How was the experience in the Indian Idol 4 especially working with India's music industry giants such as Javed Akhtar, Anu Malick, and Kailash Kher?

RC: Indian Idol was the turning point in my life. I had done a couple of reality shows before but as a kid .Indian Idol brought about a lot of change in my life.It taught me how to perform,how to face the audience,how to accept defeats as well. It's because of the show that I got the popularity and got opportunities to sing for Bodyguard, Khiladi 786,and Gunday as well it helped get my real self out.

NS: How was your experience singing for the films Bodyguard and Khiladi 786? 

RC: Bodyguard and Khiladi 786 experience was amazing. It was a treat working with Himesh ji (reshammiya).He is a gem of a person and an extremely talented music director. It was a blessing to work with him.

NS: What are the challenges that you have faced while being a part of India's music industry as a newcomer?

RC: We all face challenges everyday so I won't say that there was a particular time when I had to face challenges or problems. But I believe,music comes from your soul and not everybody can be a musician. You need to have that connection with GOD and that emotion within you. So I always sing from my heart. For me, my stage is a Temple,and music is the Idol that I worship.

NS: I have read that you had earlier sung for the Telegu and Tamil films as a playback singer, tell us more about your experience in these industries? 

RC: Yes,I had sung for a Tamil film long back after Idol. It was recorded in Ar Rahman sir's studio in Chennai.The experience was fabulous. I couldn't have asked for more.I have also tried singing in Marathi and Bengali languages.

NS: In the more recent times, singers also have to be excellent performers and have to be better "groomed" than the singers of the yesteryears? How has your experience being regarding the performance element of your singing career? 

RC: Yes ,its ABSOLUTELY right.Singers have to be performers.By performer, I mean,an entertainer who value the time that the audience has spent in coming down all the way to see his or her act. They should get the value for time and money that they have spent. It is our responsibility as artists to see to it that our audience enjoys and has a great time when they are with us. For that an artists needs to be versatile, charming, interesting along with his musical skills. The competition is fierce now.we have so many singers, but I wish our country discovers more performers as well!
NS: Who are your favorite singers? your idols? 

RC: My favorite singers have been Manna Dey, Mohammad Rafi sahib and Kishore Kumar. In the newer Generations ,we have Sonu (Nigam) ji who is amazing .I love his feel.

I hope you all enjoyed the interview with Rajdeep! Here is a clip of him performing for the Bollywood Monster Mashup this year in Mississauga, Ontario!