Australian link to Bollywood’s depiction of new age Indian women

Bollywood established its place as a dominant film industry in the 1990s. This period witnessed commercialisation of song and dance elements, a brewing fan-base amidst its diasporic audiences, improvised cinematographic techniques and grandiosity of settings while portraying the life of anon resident Indian (NRI). Thus, the display of these foreign destinations added to the popularisation of Bollywood cinema abroad ever since including in Australia. The 1990s also earmarked post-economic liberalisation, which influenced the socio–political environment of the Indian cinemas, advocated the ideologies of gendered dissent and led to the relaxation of censorship rules whilst portraying sexuality. Among the usual trends of showcasing foreign destinations Australia emerged as a space of sexual liberation, urban cultural milieu, and families in the 21st century.

The notion of a diaspora in Bollywood cinema evokes newer perceptions of gendered performativity and romance. Through the extravaganza of exotic destinations, melodrama and action infused in enacting familial relations, the diaspora plays an integral role in enticing its global spectators. It not only caters to the male fetishes and voyeuristic pleasures but also showcased women being flamboyant, promiscuous, and self–reliant. Salaam Namaste (2005), Heyy Baby (2007), Chak De! India (2007) and Bachna Ae Haseeno (2005) are some of the popular films whose narratives revolved around life of Indians in Australia. Thereafter, Australia established its place as a favoured destination for Indians to settle and set forth the narratives around retaining the Indian cultural values although being based abroad. The strong connection between India–Australia were established in the display of its cultural, aesthetic and materialistic culture. The close association and transnational connection between the two set forth through its historical connections, common ideological frameworks and political climate and migratory ties also added to the popularity of Bollywood cinema amongst the diaspora in Australia. Sports being one such tie, set forth the cultural and diasporic connect between the two countries in the particular hockey world cup match in Melbourne in Chak De! The women’s hockey team was belittled and shunned for

pursuing a “manly” game over performing domestic chores. The match at Melbourne symbolised the dismantling of patriarchy and cultural stereotypes of women where years of ridicule and value judgment portraying woman predominantly as a wife, a daughter or a daughter–in–law was very effectively discarded in the portrayal of players coming from different parts of India.

Priyam Sinha

On the other hand, the stigma related to live–in relationships and unmarried pregnancy was enacted in Salaam Namaste that introduced novelty in cinematic trends of Bollywood cinema. The narrative of Heyy Baby too touched upon how Sydney could be a destination for three Casanovas, a notion stereotyped within the Indian masculinity. On similar lines, Bachna Ae Haseeno too addressed how a casanova finally mended his ways after having betrayed the trust of Indian women who dreamt of “settling down” with him and starting a family. After years of running away from commitment the male protagonist realised his love for Deepika Padukone, playing the role of a part time management student and cab driver. Sydney thus became the harbinger of a realisation of a woman juggling multiple roles and instilling a sense of guilt of breaching the trust of all those whom he left behind in India. Although these films tried to ape the Indian cultural milieu even in Australia the degree of liberation from the traditional sanctions made Australia unique in its representation. Amidst the picturesque beaches, fetishisation of the woman’s body; the films also demonstrated that the Indian woman was no more gullible, docile, and subservient. Instead, she too gazed, objectified and fetishized the male body and pursued her goals independent of her familial expectations. The role of diaspora, in this case Australia becomes an interesting point of contestation for having set forth a broader debate on how diaspora is a liberating yet conservative.

Then diaspora tapped upon the Indian sentimentality of urban anxieties, fear and escapist fantasies. Further, the narratives in these movies exhibited the NRI culture, their alleged superiority and sexual agency and alienation yet attachment towards the melodrama of Indian households. In other words, it reinforced the old adage, you can take an Indian out of India but never India out of an Indian. However, it must be emphasised that the movies championed narratives that were offbeat, in a significant departure from the tradition stereotypical construct of Indian values, gender roles and gender parity. Although acknowledgement for performing familial roles hold relevance within these narratives but it made the audience mindful of how women are more than just being fetishised or adhering to societal standards to being a chaste and a sacrificial mother. The female protagonists eulogised the avenging woman discourse by eulogising the emerging “new age woman” of the 21st century who is now offering an alternative image of an Indian womendivorced from the stereotypical image that has been reinforced for centuries.

Ms Priyam Sinha is a doctoral student at the National University of Singapore.

By Priyam Sinha