Representation of Muslim Women in Hindi Cinema
Feminist film theory is theoretical film criticism derived from politics and feminist theory. Feminists have many approaches to cinema analysis, regarding the film elements analysed and their theoretical underpinnings. This is no different in Hindi cinema, popularly known as “Bollywood”. The typical Indian film is radically different in narrative form and content to the Hollywood model of entertainment. Consequently, it offers its audience an alternative to Hollywood, and one that is more in keeping with concerns particular to developing countries[1]. One focus of development is that Bollywood addresses the current issues of terrorism, which is most often linked to Muslims. Here I will use the history and conflict between Muslims and Hindus, in order to explore the portrayal of Muslims, but in particular, Muslim women in Bollywood films. This is of specific interest as there are almost 140 million Muslims in India; more than 10 percent of the population[2]. Furthermore, women in general continue to struggle for respect and their individuality in India and thus Muslim women are a group who are at increased risk of being misrepresented in Bollywood.
The primary text to be studied within this research will be Fiza. I will not only use the visual elements of the Mise-en-scene, but I will also be focusing on the cinematography, screenplay, narrative and dialogues. I will be comparing Fiza with another text, Veer-Zaara. These films have a lead Muslim female protagonist who share similarities and have differences too. I will be comparing both these characters and how they are both portrayed as the main lead in both the movies. My focus will be on character analysis, which will be backed up by the Mise-en-scene, cinematography, dialogues, narrative and context.
[1] An introduction to film studies
[2] (Ref: censusindia.gov.in)
compare it with the messages that the movie is trying to give to its audience, and see if it has affected the audience the way the filmmakers intended. Also, I will explore if the messages are a fair and relevant representation of Muslims. Overall I will be exploring different varieties of movies, which will have an Islamic backdrop and the main protagonists trying to get through the obstacles they face. Most of my chosen movies are based on the 9/11 attacks, 1993 Bombay Riots and the Independence of Pakistan from India. The link to real events will provide me with many secondary sources to analyse, and help me apply the theory of feminism. The use of oppositional gazes will also be addressed[1].
With Fiza being the fierce and independent strong Muslim woman in Fiza, it raises the question, have Muslims, particularly women, been given an “identity” or is the struggle still ongoing? Similarly in Veer-Zaara, the female protagonist (Zaara) is an independent and strong Muslim woman. However, she is a woman who is surrounded by boundaries and duties of a “woman” and these have to be chosen over her love, which she has to sacrifice. She is still shown to be somehow dependent on the male protagonist, to help and support her. This raises another question: are Muslim women allowed the freedom of taking their own decisions in Hindi cinema?
Fiza is based on the 1993 Bombay Riots. The Bombay Riots started in December 1992 and carried on till January 1993. It was caused due to the Demolition of Babri Mosque. The Riots led to the 1993 Bombay bombings and the film portrays the struggle that both communities had to go through during that time. For Fiza, this was the disappearance of her brother during the riots. It is the struggle of a Muslim woman, her journey and how she has to portray herself as masculine, in order to find her brother. To an extent her character is portrayed opposite to Laura Mulvey’s Feminist film theory.[2]
Although the character of Fiza is shown to be a strong and tough woman, is she really shown rough as a woman? Her appearance in the film does not make it seem so, as she is introduced like a girl in traditional Indian attire and plaits. Then with the leap of six years she is still in similar attire, but with her hair tied up, more like a woman.
[1] http://www.slideshare.net/fleckneymike/the-male-gaze-laura-mulvey
[2] Ref 2: http://www.slideshare.net/fleckneymike/the-male-gaze-laura-mulvey
However, when she goes out on a search for her brother, she is dressed in jeans, with her shirt tucked in and hair tied up, more like a man than a woman. This means that many men in the audience would be unable to derive any pleasure from seeing her on screen as she is depicted as masculine and meaning business. She is not simply an object of male desire but a woman on a mission. There is an absence of the male gaze in this film, particularly in the latter part.
Fiza is not only visually manly her character is boyish in other ways too. A good example of her manliness is in the image above, as Fiza is shown talking to a military man, in her masculine attire. Her strong mindedness and determination reflect male characteristics rather than female. Everything happens in her favour. An example from the film is when she goes to the media and creates havoc about her missing brother. After that publicity, she receives attention from the media, politicians, and the law (police). This highlights the impact Fiza has and how she is able to persuade people to aid in her search for her brother.
The film is mainly based around her, and the evidence of that is the title of the film is eponymous with her name. However, Fiza has been masculinised in order to portray her strength and importance. Could she not have had the same impact as her more feminine self? This leads us to question whether Fiza is actually highlighting the strength of a Muslim woman or her weakness.[1] As the Bollywood Food Club believes, “Fiza has a fiery personality as it is, but too often she is pushed to the limit
https://bollywoodfoodclub.wordpress.com/2010/03/
and her very sharp tongue and tantrums are justified.” This defends my analysis of Fiza being a strong independent woman, who needs no man to protect her or guide her. This is rarely seen in Bollywood films, as that would usually be the male protagonist’s role. By portraying Fiza this way, Khaled Mohamed has broken stereotypes and has given his heroine the same qualities as a hero.
Being the main protagonist she leads the story, she is also a portrayal of an Indian Muslim, she personifies the warmth of the religion as well as the country. This is very clear in the scene where she scolds the Muslim politician saying that despite being a Muslim, she is as much of an Indian as any Hindu is. “The colour green…is a part of the Indian flag… it should remain as a part only… it should not try to become the flag”. Through this dialogue Fiza is portraying her patriotism for India, as she suggests to the Muslim politician that, although green represents the Muslims in the country, this should not be abused. The politician is a Muslim, who should remain a part of the country, not try to overtake it. This shows her patriotism for India, regardless of being a strong believer of her religion, Islam. [1] Editor and reviewer, Prem Panicker, questions if it is right for Fiza to go through all these anti-Muslim political factors and face all of these ups and downs like a man[2]. I disagree with this statement, as it appears that he is degrading feminine power by saying that Fiza’s character should not go through these tough situations, as she is a woman, and should not try to behave like a man. I do not agree with his point that the film, Fiza, is anti-Muslim, because if that was the case then the movie would not have had a Muslim as the protagonist, who is a woman.
Veer-Zaara is about the unconditional love between an Indian Officer, Veer, and a beautiful Pakistani girl, Zaara. Veer Pratap Singh is an officer and pilot in the Indian Air Force who one day meets a Pakistani heiress, Zaara Hayaat Khan, as she travels to a small Indian village to scatter the ashes of one of her family's loyal servants. The film begins with Veer in jail due to terrorism allegations, being interviewed by Saamiya, a Pakistani barrister. As he tells her his story the film goes back and forth from flashbacks to present time.[3]
Although Saamiya isn’t the lead character in this film, she is integral to this story. Furthermore, she’s the first female Muslim lawyer who vows to set Veer free from all the allegations. She portrays an educated Muslim woman striving to carve a path for herself in her career. This parallels Zaara’s struggle in her personal life. Contrasting these young female Muslims is Zaara’s mother. She openly declares there is no such thing as love and women are expected to make sacrifices[4]. Reviewer, Saleha Javaid believes, “Saamiya was able to efficiently handle the responsibility of bringing them together without having something to lose for herself.” I agree with this statement, as this supports my analysis about Saamiya, being resilient, selfless and successful. Even Saleha Javaid believes that Saamiya is a strong character as she is a Pakistani young woman who goes to great lengths to give her client, an Indian, justice. This makes Saamiya noble and responsible.
This film has no major religious conflicts but the issues of honor, respect, politics and ego brings hurdles in the love story, whereas in Fiza, the main plot is based around the religious conflicts. Fiza tries to reflect the reality through entertainment, whilst Veer-Zaara is more about the love story with a backdrop of religious tension.
The representation of Muslim women in Hindi cinema has gradually progressed over the years. Both female Muslim protagonists drive the story forward, and this is highlighted by the titles of both films, Fiza and Veer-Zaara. They are both portrayed traditionally but with a ‘voice’, which most Muslim women wouldn’t have had previously in Hindi cinema. Earlier 20th century films have not had female Muslim protagonists. This is evident that the modern society does not mind the diversity of cultures and religion being portrayed through the protagonists, even if they are female.
The process of having female Muslim protagonists started from the 1960’s, in movies: Mughal-e- Azam (1960), Chaudhvin ka chand (1961), Mere Mehboob (1963), Pakeezah (1971), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Umrao Jaan (1981) and Nikaah (1982)[5]. All of these movies had female Muslim protagonists, alongside the male protagonists. Despite having a strong character to portray on screen, they all lack the ‘voice’ that Fiza and Zaara have in the post 20th century Bollywood cinema. Previously in Hindi cinema, Muslim women were kept under the veil most of the time. They were timid and spoke in low voice and tone, whereas in Fiza and Veer-Zaara, they both have a purpose in life other than being objectified by the male protagonists.
An example of the change in the portrayal of the Muslim women is from the classical Bollywood movie that is considered to be one of the best made to date[6], Mughal-e-Azam (1960). It is about the love-story between a Mughal Crown Prince and a beautiful, ill-fated court dancer. The dialogue for the court dancer and Fiza are starkly different. The court dancer says to the prince “Your Highness please don't take my dreams from my eyes ... I will die”. This is in contrast to Fiza requesting help from the journalist by saying “the power of a pen is more than the power of a sword”. In Veer-Zaara, when Zaara confesses that she is in love with an Indian man, she questions her mother, “Can my father sacrifice his life for you?” Fiza and Zaara’s dialogue is more harsh and direct and the court dancer’s is very subservient. The court dancer’s interchange with her lover shows that she is very much dependent on him. The fact that he is a prince and she is a court dancer shows the vast difference between the portrayal of male and female Muslims in Hindi cinema. Post 20th century Fiza, is much more direct in her request, as it is powerful and intellectual. She is not just requesting like the court dancer, but is making a high-impact statement in her request, which reflects her confidence to the audience. Similarly, Zaara’s dialogue is effective as she asks a question that would never be asked by a child to their parent back in the 1960s. For a daughter to ask her mother this question would have been seen as an insult in the 1960s. Zaara asks this question without any hesitation, which shows that she has the freedom to question and speak her mind.
[2] http://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/sep/07fiza.htm
[3] http://www.gomolo.com/veerzaara-movie-synopsis-plot-story/8287
[4] http://www.planetbollywood.com/Film/VeerZaara/
http://salehajavaid.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/e-veer-zaara-of-love-and-politics/
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| Zaara from Veer-Zaara (2004) |
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| Fiza from Fiza (2000) |
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| Courtesan from the 1960s movie |
Both Fiza and Zaara are similar when it comes to religion and morals, as well as being the epitome of beauty. However, Fiza is shown to be more independent and stronger compared to Zaara. This is because Zaara is shown as the damsel in distress, in some cases, where Veer has to come to her rescue. Fiza is more feisty, and a woman who does not need a man to protect her or rescue her.
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| Fiza's fiery personality |
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| Zaara being saved by Veer |
Most Hindi films feature a male protagonist, while the woman mostly serves as the object of male desire. The few films, where women are the protagonists and not just sexual cynosures, generally address the impossibility of female desire under patriarchy. [1]
Therefore the appearances of both Muslim female protagonists are very different in both films. In Fiza, her appearance is very simple and natural. She is an attractive woman, but with very strong and determined intentions. Fiza conforms and personifies how modest a Muslim woman should be. Zaara in some cases contradicts this as there are more uses of Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory in Veer-Zaara[2] than
Fiza. In many of the scenes in Veer-Zaara, she exposes cleavage that would be inappropriate for most Muslims.
Zaara from Veer-Zaara
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOGfZRBnH8Q
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anHC1HT-VzM
Fiza from Fiza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aroKl6SImMA
Zaara while praying
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-9q6i8KJj4
Fiza while praying
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aroKl6SImMA
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Fiza did not do very well at the box office. However the film generated excellent critic reviews, and many awards in that year. The actors from the film, especially the actress who played the role of Fiza (Karishma Kapoor), won almost all the awards in the years 2000/2001. The director of this film was praised yet critised at the same time. [1]
Reviewer, Anish Khanna thinks that the problem here is that in an attempt to portray an intense story based on real life incidents from his past, director - Khalid Mohamed seems to be a bit too pre-occupied with the commercial viability of his project. [2] This was the judgment which was made by an online Bollywood magazine. However I disagree with the reviewer, and feel that Khaled Mohamed has portrayed the incidents of the 1993 riots with the sentiments that were needed for the film. His representation of how Fiza’s brother ends up within a terrorist organization is as it is expected, but what’s refreshing is his sister’s reaction to the situation.
The late Yash Chopra, director of Veer-Zaara has given Bollywood many of its greatest hits, like Deewar (1975) and Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)[3]. Yash Chopra believed that women are one of God’s most beautiful creations as he mentioned in one of his videos, “I believe that after nature, snowfall, valleys, flowers, the most beautiful thing God has made is a woman”. Therefore, he has presented Zaara as the embodiment of his ideas, thus this gives a sense that being a male director Yash Chopra relates very well with the male gaze. This supports Laura Mulvey’s theory on male gaze, as she believes “that the camera lingers on the curves of the female body, and events which occur to women are presented largely in the context of a man’s reaction to these events”.[4]
Although Veer-Zaara does not have much religious conflict, compared to Fiza, but another modern movie that explores the conflict between Muslims and Hindus is My Name is Khan (2010). My Name is Khan explores the struggle of the Muslim community after the 9/11 attacks.Many American’s view towards Islamic community has changed as seen in My Name is Khan. Muslim women wearing hijab have been targeted which is shown through Haseena (Rizwan Khan’s Sister-in-law), wherein a person pulls her scarf in the university and demands her to “get-out of my country”. So, Zaakir (Rizwan Khan’s Brother) requests Haseena to stop wearing scarf in public, on the basis that Allah will understand but people won’t (coping methods). Harassment of Muslims in their workplace which eventually led them to either quit the job or leave their country of livelihood. [5]
Although Bollywood portrays Muslims as terrorists and evil, they also portray their struggle. Whether it is the struggle of Muslim women, men or the whole Muslim community, they show the good and the bad side of the people from the religion equally. The struggle of the Muslim men is clear in My Name is Khan, and the struggle of Muslim women is clear in Fiza and Veer-Zaara.
[1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248012/
[2] http://planetbollywood.com/Film/Fiza/
(Vid Ref:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPWDiTT64k)
[5]http://www.academia.edu/1258629/Humanities_My_Name_is_Khan_and_I_am_not_a_terrorist_
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| Rizwan's sister-in-law with Hijab on, before the 9/11 in My Name Is Khan |
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| After 9/11 and the Hijab pulling incident |
Fiza and Veer-Zaara both represent the female Muslim protagonists as strong women with their feminine sentiments as a smaller part of their character. They are both independent women who cope with difficult situations and know how to maintain their position in society. Fiza and Zaara are depicted well religiously and culturally to some extent. At times they are shown with the audience in mind. For example, Zaara is shown using the male gaze in order to please viewers. She is portrayed in such a way that women would want to be as attractive as her. In contrast, Fiza is almost masculine in her demeanour but her determination and intellect make her a role model for women too. The religious issues are more apparent in Fiza and thus make it a more realistic film. Veer-Zaara is all together more typical of the traditional Bollywood narrative of a love story. Many of the films with a female Muslim protagonist usually pair them up with a non-Muslim male protagonist. Fiza does not conform to this stereotype, as she decides and goes through the journey of her search, alone.
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