How Woke is Indian Television’s Portrayal of ‘Strong’ Female Leads?
Indian television has always been under the spotlight for their overtly unrealistic portrayal of Indian women. For decades, it has reiterated the image of a woman as the weaker sex who is dependent on a man in every aspect. Media and television are powerful influencers and this incorrect portrayal of women has conditioned many to fit themselves into these stereotypes, at the cost of their own identities and potential.
In the good old days, there were many Indian dramas that concentrated on the real struggles faced by women. Nina Gupta in Saans played the iconic role of a woman torn between her husband’s infidelity and her own struggles of being a mother. Udaan, a show ahead of its time, told the story of a woman who dreamt of becoming an I.P.S. officer. The show was also one of the first television dramas to be centred around the theme of women empowerment.
Shifting the conversation to the present, one sees more and more women challenging the status quo and fighting for their rightful place in the society. This has also motivated our television industry to shift their portrayal of female characters in the direction of progressive thought. In the recent past, we’ve had strong female leads that have left a mark on our minds. Who can forget Chandramukhi Chautala in F.I.R, played by Kavita Kaushik? She was one of the first actresses who broke the stereotypical image of women as being domestic-oriented. The show gained immense popularity and Kavita became a household name. Similar is the story of Ammaji from Lado, a character people loved to hate. Strongly opinionated, and a force to reckon with, Ammaji was a character that stuck with us.
While these are indicators of the shifting trends in Indian television, if we look beneath the surface, we’ll discover that each of these characters was glorified for being closer to the idea of a man. Hit by the tidal wave of feminism, Indian television has taken on the task of portraying strong, independent women. But in trying to do so, it has fallen prey to a subtle form of sexism that glorifies strength by stripping the characters of femininity. For generations, strength has been a trait almost synonymous with masculinity. For that reason, society has only known a one-dimensional manifestation of it – that of a man. Indian television has, unfortunately, subscribed to this malnourished concept and created ‘tough’ female characters from it.
Women in these shows are not only unrealistic but also unrelatable. There are universal tomboyish traits in these characters like short hair, lack of interest in their appearance, and even a certain stoicism, implying that these are prerequisites for one to be strong, independent, and successful. In other words, everything that represents an accepted form of femininity is done away with. The ‘sons’ of the traditional Indian society are somehow preserved in these female forms.
The character of Manu in Waaris is a great example to put things in perspective. Manu is brought up by her mother like a boy so she can help lead the community. This perpetuates the idea that only a man can lead effectively, and that if you are a woman who wishes to become a leader, you need to be more like a man. Another character to consider is Anushka, from Veerpur ki Mardaani, played by Avika Gor, a woman who believes in the utmost supremacy of law. Apart from the highly problematic title, the show focuses on Anushka’s revenge against Yuvraj for offending her family. She makes it her life’s aim to destroy him and set things in order. She forgoes her studies, her job, her home, and her individuality to teach this man a lesson. No matter how feminist and progressive her ‘strong’ character may seem on the surface, it is simply another version of the atavistic idea that a woman’s life has meaning only when it revolves around a man.
Portrayals of strong women that are simply aspirations to masculinity cause harm to the feminist movement rather than propel it in the right direction. While masculinity is not undesirable, and it only benefits a person to have a balance of both feminine and masculine traits, using masculinity as a mascot for everything desirable and thereby disregarding femininity, only encourages the hold of patriarchy on our society. A considerable percentage of the Indian population resonates with these female leads and are influenced by them. Indian television needs to display greater sensibility in the formation of its female characters to make them engaging, responsive, and relatable.
(Edited by Varsha Roysam)
