Is there really Misogyny in Padmaavat?

Twisterfry thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#1
I have been seeing many posts about padmaavat's Misogyny and the glorification of jauhar. Now I watched the film. It was not the best film I have ever watched, but it was definitely very entertaining.

The posts criticising Bhansali's depiction of jauhar have really puzzled because I am a firm advocate for human rights and equality for both males and females, but I did not find the movie sexist in any way. I think that we should interpret the content of the movie and judge in the parameters of the context it was set in, the 13th (?) century. At that point in time, there was no firm laws nor was there any human rights court. If the women had been captured by the men, they would have probably become sex slaves for the entirety of their lives. And who are we to judge them for choosing death for a lifetime of slavery? I am not saying that the choice to die is the correct one. Some of us may choose to live. In this situation there is no right or wrong choice. Instead, shouldn't feminism be all about providing the woman with the ability to make a choice and NOT judge her if she did something you wouldn't agree with?

I might be based for this but I actually did see some sort of poetic beauty in the jauhar scene. It did show the bravery and dignity with which the Rajput women faced their doom. And I felt a strange sense of satisfaction when I watched it because it was their empowered and rather intense way of saying f**k you to the enemy who killed their sons, husbands and fathers. They would have been forced to become the slaves of the invaders, but they made the choice out of their own free will to say no to that, and isn't there something to celebrate in that?

All I am saying is, you are not going to get women empowerment in a history movie. If you could you would see deepika fighting alongside shahid for chittor. That's what I would expect from a modern day hero and heroine, not from ancient characters from history.

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Twisterfry thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#2

Thanks! I was kind of afraid of getting bashed because this is a sensitive issue right.
anjs thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#3
This topic has been debated since the day the movie released. But every idiot right from swara Bhaskar to Barkha Dutt refuse to see the era of the movie.
It's like watching game of thrones and asking why people kill each other so easily or why there are dragons in the show.
Pehchaan.Kaun thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#4
😆 First of all, the backdrop of the movie is medieval period which WAS misogynist of highest order. Why would I expect equality at that time ?

Secondly, if anywhere in the movie, I felt low for being a woman was when Padmaavati comes to rescue Ratan Singh Rajput in Delhi and instead of thanking her, he gives some more 'wasool' bhashan and shouts at her. 🤢


And the logic of being able to 'CHOOSE'. This. Have been posting since quite a while, but then one can convince someone who's ready to understand logical point, but preaching in front of Barkha-Dutt-Likes is completely futile. Still I'd say good effort you've put there. 👏
sherlockthor thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#5
Movie is successful.
That shows Audience has accepted.

I am tired of defending the film , and it does not even need to be defended actually.
Some people purposely trying to create fights.

Movie is a blockbuster , audience is happy , I am happy.



DanceUntilWeDie thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#6

This. I partly agree with Swara and barkha.

According to Jauhar scene , it celebrated death of the women who were claimed as goddesses for killing themselves painfully to protect n choose "honorable" death over a life of a concubine in a harem. Both are awful.

But why make it dramatic and also beautiful ? I get it, climax and all. But still why not show it as what it actually is? An almost no-choice situation! They were helpless!

And why did she take all the women with her. The poem says khilji was only lusting after Pad, not all chittor women.
She manipulated them to protect the "honour" of her defeated husband and his kingdom
willina thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#7

Originally posted by: ilovecrepes


This. I partly agree with Swara and barkha.

According to Jauhar scene , it celebrated death of the women who were claimed as goddesses for killing themselves painfully to protect n choose "honorable" death over a life of a concubine in a harem. Both are awful.

But why make it dramatic and also beautiful ? I get it, climax and all. But still why not show it as what it actually is? An almost no-choice situation! They were helpless!

And why did she take all the women with her. The poem says khilji was only lusting after Pad, not all chittor women.
She manipulated them to protect the "honour" of her defeated husband and his kingdom


all the men of the kingdom are dead. there is a victorious marauding army coming who have made their intentions known f making the queen the sex slave. WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN TO ALL THE WOMEN ? THEY WILL BE HONOURABLY ALLOWED TO CARRY ON WITH THEIR DAILY LIVES..???? even in the 21st century 3 month old baby girls are getting RAPED. AND HERE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM..? the victorious king gets the wife of the defeated ruler. what do the army generals, soldiers get...???? if you are on the defeated side, you are a man, you get killed, you are a woman, you get raped. even dead bodies get raped... there are several medieval accounts where it is celebrated...ueen padmavati did not manipulate anyone, she gave a big "f**k yourself" to khilji, they made a statement that all your actions will be for nothing, not even their ashes can be touched by him...

speak to any Yazidi sex slave survivor, the horror and the daily rapes they had to undergo,maybe then you will understand the plight of scores of women fearing lifelong sexual predation.
anjs thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#8

Originally posted by: willina


all the men of the kingdom are dead. there is a victorious marauding army coming who have made their intentions known f making the queen the sex slave. WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN TO ALL THE WOMEN ? THEY WILL BE HONOURABLY ALLOWED TO CARRY ON WITH THEIR DAILY LIVES..???? even in the 21st century 3 month old baby girls are getting RAPED. AND HERE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM..? the victorious king gets the wife of the defeated ruler. what do the army generals, soldiers get...???? if you are on the defeated side, you are a man, you get killed, you are a woman, you get raped. even dead bodies get raped... there are several medieval accounts where it is celebrated...ueen padmavati did not manipulate anyone, she gave a big "f**k yourself" to khilji, they made a statement that all your actions will be for nothing, not even their ashes can be touched by him...

speak to any Yazidi sex slave survivor, the horror and the daily rapes they had to undergo,maybe then you will understand the plight of scores of women fearing lifelong sexual predation.



+ 1

Yes, all those women wouldve been raped by the soldiers, so it mustve happened before, thats why they thought of following Padmavati into the Jauhar Pyre
Twisterfry thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#9
Exactly. I am just so frustrated when people find fault in simple things. I think it sets back the gender equality movement as people start viewing it less seriously.
DanceUntilWeDie thumbnail
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Posted: 7 years ago
#10
OK. Get the slavery part. Yet that jauhar scene is disturbingly beautiful. Yes rape and sex slavery is terrible. Yet, that won't be the end of the world.
I wish SLB had shot the last scene more responsibly by showing some sadness at least on their face instead of making them like Katniss Everdeen. According to his portrayal of the jauhar, being a one-man woman = pure, honourable. Other wise ,you are worthless

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