Over past decades, Nepali cinema has
witnessed a remarkable transformation in
the way women are portrayed through films. Contemporary Nepali movies depict
women as more liberated , confident, and career oriented . This paper deals
with the changing role of female character portrayed in Nepali cinema with special focus on some representative Nepali films.
Female characters in Nepali movies have usually
been portrayed as constrained, submissive,
surrendering individuals, who are inclined to make sacrifices for their family .
The ideal of archetypal womanhood has
been celebrated theme for kollywood. However, it’s also obvious that the
construction of female characters in Nepali films has changed over these
decades and has been influenced by
changing culture . We can say that, Female characterization in Nepali cinemas have, indeed, tried to move on with dominant trend and culture of their times.
Cursory look at the history of Nepali cinema
from 1970sto the early years of the twenty-first century compress the changing roles
and different portrayal of Nepali women.
The films released in the late-twentieth
century limited the roles of women within home and kitchen and essentially stereotyped an 'ideal' woman who was willing to sacrifice
anything for her family pride .Conversely, by the beginning of twenty-first century there have been sudden shifts
towards portraying independent female characters who are decisive ,risk-taking and willing to overcome traditional grounds
and redefine their role and position in society.
While in the 1990s and early
2000s the tendency was to present women in traditional fashion that was largely home-centered, in
today's context one can see the feminine voice with changing portrayals. As
Nepali movies has been touched by Hollywood and Bollywood phobia, it would be
reasonable to recollect some evidence outside from Nepali discourse. In context
to presentation of female character in movies, NY times writes,
“In
the past, some actresses had a measure of power or at least staying power in
Hollywood, but too many more were typecast as bratty sisters, dutiful daughters
or sexpots, and then cast aside. And some of their most memorable characters
were, like their adult counterparts, defined by hypersexuality or asexuality”.
Nepali movies can be classified under different periodical development that tend to depict
varying position of women and represent their voice. Historically, Nepali
cinema present women within a certain structure of representation that belongs to the idealized values of womanhood, limited within the boundary
of stereotypes, maintaining established patriarchal values. “Sindoor” (1980)
has followed same pattern by portraying
women this way and there lacks ground for female subjectivity.
Then, in 1980-90s family
dramas were hodge-podge as they often demonstrate
a contrasting picture of womanhood and depict women in multiple ways. Those days there was increasing trend to present women in
confines of household in a village or semi-urbane joint family. Most of the
times the story centers around female character who plays key role in solving the problems of a family but her image is overvalued
on account of being an ideal spouse, daughter or daughter-in-law. Take the story
of some Neplai movie “Chino” “Lahure”, “Saino” the main protagonist is
usually a household woman who finds pleasure
in caring children, cooking and performing other household chores and ensuring
that all the ceremonies of the family are taken care off well.
During late 90s, there
was the beginning of the action era, an
era that brought a drastic change in presentation of womanhood . Kollywood ignore,
presenting faithful and timid women whose character would attract their male
counterpart. Rather, Neplai heroin were reduced to being a glamorous part of movie; dancing
around trees, being molest, kidnapped or raped and ultimately rescued by male
character. To cite some example movies like, ‘Shankar’ (1997)directed by Narayan puri and “Agni Parichya”(1996) featuring Bipana
Thapa.
Similarly , another representation
of the changing image of women would be the way distinction is shown between,
the good girl and bad girl, ideal and freak out. The freak out or modern girl always
revolt, shows attitude ,often presented in sophisticated dress , and was
punished for her bad deeds. As Niruta Singh was shown in Tulsi Ghimire “Darpan Chhaya” and
then was taught a lesson by the hero.
In course of time,
especially after 2010 , the comparison
between good girl and bad girl disappeared. The heroine speaks as boldly and act as provocatively as the bad
girl of old time . Unlike old movies, instead of being punished for such bold
exposition they manage to achieve goals because of same decisiveness and bold
character. Some critics views this change as an effect of globalization where modern audience demanded heroines to become more bold or
proactive than real woman. She might be shown dumping some Alfa male character
or plotting entire game, deceiving her male counterparts, role as played by Priyanka Karki in “Sadsang”
and “Chakka panja”.
Some remarkable changes in the women’s typical
characters have been evident in the films lately. Nisha Adhakiri’s “Padmini” and “Sungava”and is a fresh change because instead of casting
her as a bad girl the director focuses on biological problem of her sexuality, which she accepts confidently,
despite social rejection. This has become flexible partly with the entry
of female subjectivity in movies, encouraged by changing lifestyle ; new
directors acknowledge such changing culture and portrays those reality in their
fiction . This is opportunity for those female expecting to follow different path away from the typical
stereotypes.
The change in portrayal of
womanhood has not been a sudden one but
happened at a snail’s pace. Even though the characterization ignore
stereotypes, complete paradigm shift is yet to happen . The roles assigned to
heroines still carry the stereotypes.
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