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As someone who has done extensive research on the devadasi system of south India (and on the way to pursue it further academically) this show hit really close to home, but I was weary of watching it because I thought that the portrayal would be simplistic and one dimensional, painting the ritual practice and profession of the bediyas, unequivocally, as a social evil and making the protagonist a heroic "saviour" so I didn't watch the first episodes of the show. But then one weekend I caught the Kahani Ab Tak recap and I have to say, I am impressed by the depth of the subject matter and the way the makers have chosen to address it.
While the lifestyle of the bediyas may seem "wrong" to our normative view of domestic society, it is a system in and of itself which has its own set of codes regarding wrong and right. Neither are the bediya women necessarily victims, nor are the thakurs necessarily oppressors or criminals. Naturally the system has certain limitations, and the protagonist happens to be a woman who is against these limitations and wants something different for her own life. She wants to get married.
But what I like about Sugni is that she is not ashamed of where she comes from and not ashamed to allow it to shape who she is becoming. She may be against sar dakai, but she still uses the means of her ancestors, dance, to make her living. She is not rejecting the totality of the lifestyle, only those aspects which make the bediya subservient and dependent on the thakurs. She is unwilling to forgo the independence and autocracy, being a woman, that her lineage gives her. I strongly believe that being the daughter of the sole breadwinner of the house plays a part in her attitude towards life and society.
Secondly, I like that they do legitimise the relationship between the bediya and her patron and don't just reduce it to some sort of aberration. It may not be a relationship of equals but there is a relationship (LOVED that scene between Gulabiya and the Thakurain) and rights involved, as there are in any relationship. This was shown in the little scene when Jwala Singh hears that Gulabiya is ill and while the messenger is relaying another implication to that message, JS asks how she is. In the thakurs life, the wife is not the only woman who holds importance and marriage is not the only sanctified form of man-woman relationship.
Lastly, I just loved the history they gave to Aditya yesterday. Just as Sugni villanises the thakurs in her life's narrative, Aditya villanises the bediya, which is what makes their impending relationship so interesting (and I don't just mean romantically). Aditya has seen a case where the bediya overtook the importance of the wife, which shows the many varying possibilities even within this one system. Thakurs can be evil and oppressive but they can also become your true love, and marriage does not have to be the only way to realise that love in this community. Similarly, bediya women can be manipulative but at the same time it is because they do what they have to to keep their income steady and their family fed. It is a very interesting set of issues and questions and this show brings all of them to light without judgment. So far I am really impressed with the sensitivity in handling an issue that I happen to be very sensitive about. I hope they keep this standard up!
While the lifestyle of the bediyas may seem "wrong" to our normative view of domestic society, it is a system in and of itself which has its own set of codes regarding wrong and right. Neither are the bediya women necessarily victims, nor are the thakurs necessarily oppressors or criminals. Naturally the system has certain limitations, and the protagonist happens to be a woman who is against these limitations and wants something different for her own life. She wants to get married.
But what I like about Sugni is that she is not ashamed of where she comes from and not ashamed to allow it to shape who she is becoming. She may be against sar dakai, but she still uses the means of her ancestors, dance, to make her living. She is not rejecting the totality of the lifestyle, only those aspects which make the bediya subservient and dependent on the thakurs. She is unwilling to forgo the independence and autocracy, being a woman, that her lineage gives her. I strongly believe that being the daughter of the sole breadwinner of the house plays a part in her attitude towards life and society.
Secondly, I like that they do legitimise the relationship between the bediya and her patron and don't just reduce it to some sort of aberration. It may not be a relationship of equals but there is a relationship (LOVED that scene between Gulabiya and the Thakurain) and rights involved, as there are in any relationship. This was shown in the little scene when Jwala Singh hears that Gulabiya is ill and while the messenger is relaying another implication to that message, JS asks how she is. In the thakurs life, the wife is not the only woman who holds importance and marriage is not the only sanctified form of man-woman relationship.
Lastly, I just loved the history they gave to Aditya yesterday. Just as Sugni villanises the thakurs in her life's narrative, Aditya villanises the bediya, which is what makes their impending relationship so interesting (and I don't just mean romantically). Aditya has seen a case where the bediya overtook the importance of the wife, which shows the many varying possibilities even within this one system. Thakurs can be evil and oppressive but they can also become your true love, and marriage does not have to be the only way to realise that love in this community. Similarly, bediya women can be manipulative but at the same time it is because they do what they have to to keep their income steady and their family fed. It is a very interesting set of issues and questions and this show brings all of them to light without judgment. So far I am really impressed with the sensitivity in handling an issue that I happen to be very sensitive about. I hope they keep this standard up!
CID
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
