The controversies that surround the works of Mother India and Fire have much to do with the times of their release. Mother India, beginning its life as a book in 1927 and being reborn as a film in 1957, tackles the issues of sexism and oppression. Radha is shown as a strong woman, a pillar of the community, who stands up to any man no matter the cost. The role of women in society is challenged here both in a general manner as dictated by global women's rights movements around that time, and specifically targeted towards the duties given to women by Hinduism. Radha also represents India fighting for independence from its colonizers, struggling under the oppression. This also speaks to the affairs of the time, only politically. The passion that Mother India induced fueled the nationalist movement and gave rise to the beautiful slogan: "India cannot be free until its women are free, and women cannot be free until India is free".
Fire raises a few of the same questions as Mother India, in regard to Hindu women and their duties, but it mainly focuses on the issue of heterosexism or homophobia. I would argue that by 1996, women's rights were no longer an issue of hot debate, but lesbianism certainly was, especially when paired with the sexual beliefs of religion. I was shocked when shown the reactions of the people who saw the film when it first screened, because I do not often encounter religious fanatics and also because I myself don't view homosexuality as something wrong or abnormal. I don't view the adverse reactions to Mother India and Fire as negative, because the haters now realize that the issues they oppose have strong support. Therefore I view these films as strong tools in advocating the rights of women and homosexuals.
- Steffie
I was definitely shocked by the reaction to the film's audience in India as well. I expected the men to become destructive, but not so much the women. However, I realized that many strong Christians would probably react the same way if they went to see a film that they expected to have passed strict censorship. It's crazy, still, though, because I can never imagine myself acting out to such an extent because of a film!
ReplyDeleteI also thought the two films were great ways to promote awareness of women's rights and other worldwide controversial topics. It seems insane to watch large groups of people destroy movie theaters and show such outrage over a fictional movie like Film, because we are accustomed to having freedoms here that are not given to citizens in other countries. It's amazing how values and traditions carry throughout centuries in some cultures, yet our own is considered a "melting pot" so it's next to impossible to inherit the same values. I mentioned in my blog entry that I thought the individuals behind the making of Fire were brave for going against what is expected and creating a message that will effect women throughout multiple societies.
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