In a country that is still urging people to save' the girl child and allow' them an education, female sexuality is a myth at best. Talk about it in a room full of people and you would notice how uncomfortable they get. Which is an irony considering we gave the world a detailed treatise on the pleasures of sex. So, unless the Kamasutra was written to satisfy the male ego, we are a country of bigots for not only denying a woman the right to express her sensuality but also sweeping the whole thing under the carpet, pretending it doesn't exist.
To make matters worse, the minute we see a woman so much so as wear a dress that doesn't coincide with our image of a cultured Indian woman, we lose it. We call her all sorts of names and term her to be an exception, lest more women turn out to be like her.A film like Veere Di Wedding comes like a breath of fresh air. Before you dismiss the film as just a chick flick, allow us to make a case for it.
There's a path-breaking scene in VDW, where Swara is shown using a vibrator. Mind you, there is nothing implied here she is using the toy in plain sight when her ex-husband walks in on her. There's nothing shocking about this except the year is 2018, and it took us all this time to acknowledge that women, too, can pleasure themselves. In fact, the term, Apna haath, Jagganath' is used liberally throughout the film.
The girls go about talking about female orgasms normally. Because, umm, it is normal. What's more? Shikha's character also doesn't shy away from discussing the length of her husband's penis with her friends. This shouldn't make you flinch if you have been laughing over silly jokes on a woman's vital stats since forever.
Which also brings us to the subject of cuss words. [ Why is Kareena going, f**k' in every sentence such a cause of worry? If the men can get away with abusing mothers and sisters in every second breath, we think we, too, are allowed a little breathing space, patriarchy. And we are not asking for your permission. So thank you very much.
It's sad that in an industry where we have seen films like Masti and Kya Kool Hai Hum, we have had to wait this long for a Veere Di Wedding. But better late than never, right?
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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