In the lead up to the release of Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan this year, there was a lot of talk, not of the film per se, but a small 20-second clip that seemed to have sparked anger among some of the political rank and file. It’s hard to believe that after years of a slow but steady accretion of progressive films and portrayals, of women helming films about their own lives and desires, we have moved backward to a point where Deepika Padukone’s saffron bikini in the song ‘Besharam Rang’ caused people to take offence. Why? Because she is seemingly disrespecting, and sexualising a political colour. One female MP actually threatened to kick Deepika in the stomach, never watch any of her films, and destroy her business. Feminism 101.
Constant evolution in portrayal
Over the years, the portrayal of female sexuality on-screen has witnessed a constant evolution, from Deepa Mehta’s film Fire (1996) to Dirty Picture (2011) to Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016) to this year’s Thank You For Coming. Several of these films spotlight sensuous women, who are actively indulging their desires, whether for sex, money or fame. How, then, does one understand films like these in relation to the whole ‘Besharam Rang’ saga? There is a cognitive dissonance here; while one aspect of the Hindi film and television industry has gotten steadily more permissive and progressive, another part has tightened the shackles of societal mores, policing any and every transgression. This lays bare one of the most basic problems with breaking the glass ceiling; that a few female-driven films don’t mean we have evolved into an equal society. In fact, these transgressions are often punished with a doubling down on female sexuality in more mainstream films. In light of this, let’s take a look at the evolution of female sexuality on screen over the years.
