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LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA
ABOUT LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA
The deep red lipstick becomes the colour and symbol of rebellion, giving us a hint of what goes on inside a woman—the turmoil, the pain, the swallowed humiliation, the unshed tears, the unspoken hatred and anger.
In the movie Lipstick Under My Burkha, all four protagonists face the explosive consequences of their apparent revolts, we hear firecrackers bursting in the background. Director Alankrita Shrivastava uses the backdrop of Diwali to tell us that the lives of these women may be going up in flames, but they’ll go out with a bang. Lipstick Under My Burkha draws an absolute picture of how women are bound, by convention and tradition, and of their inner lives and other bonds which keep them going.
It is with this capable conviction that Director tells the stories of her four heroines as Shireen (Konkona) is bogged down by a chauvinistic husband who only wants to hump her mechanically, but she finds her release in her day job; Leela (Aahana) uses sex to live out her fantasies and manipulates her men; Rihana (Plabita) is cloaked in her burkha, but dreams of ripped jeans, bad boys and Miley Cyrus’s brand of liberation and Usha (Ratna) has been deemed asexual owing to her age, but hides erotic books in religious tomes — both ushering her to (different types of) climaxes in her life.
Four ordinary women, inflicted by silly societal norms, have to steal, lie, cheat and hide in order to lead the lives that they rightfully deserve.
Set in Bhopal, Lipstick under My Burkha spins around the lives of four women from different age groups- the college fresher Rihanna (Plabita Borthakur), who hails from a traditional Muslim family but desires to wear ripped jeans and listen to Led Zeppelin. Then there is Leela (Aahana Kumra), a beauty parlour owner, who doesn’t blink an eyelid before getting down and dirty with her lover on her engagement day. Shireen (Konkona Sen Sharma), a hardworking sales-woman whose husband (Sushant Singh) treats her like a baby producing machine and Usha Parmar or ‘Buaji’ (Ratna Pathak Shah), a middle aged widow who is so busy playing the role society has written for her that she has even forgotten what her own name sounds like.
Plabita and Aahana are relevant and light up the screen. Konkona’s defenselessness makes you think about every woman who is a second-class citizen in her own home. And Ratna’s infatuated Usha, a woman in the throes of passion, will make you look at older women in a new light.
When it comes to acts, everyone without an exception has done an admirable job. From seasoned actors Ratna Pathak Shah and Konkona to the newbies Kumra and Prabita, all the women have power-packed performances. If that was not all, even the men have done their fair bit- whether it be the bullying husband (Sushant) or the hot-blooded boyfriend (Vikrant Massey).
As for the movie, Alankrita Shrivastava’s movie is definite to shock numerous people. There is a scene where a young bride not only has sex with her boyfriend on her engagement night, but also films the act for posterity... there is a scene where a middle-aged widow calls up her muscular swimming coach and indulges in phone sex with him. Alankrika has managed to do her job with conviction.
Akshay Singh's cinematography is usually bright and busy, but he also skillfully uses color to set these daring women off from their conservative environment. Zebunnisa Bangash's music adds rhythm to the scenes.
The movie seeks to shed light on what goes behind the doors of middle class India-where a woman is wedded off against her wishes, where a girl from a traditional family dances to Western music in the secrecy of her room, where an older woman touches herself while talking to the man she desires and where a woman lies down on her bed inactively while her husband mounts her mechanically.
But, what works for the movie is that despite being such a serious subject, the director has been wise enough to serve it up with substantial humour. It is a movie to be celebrated and kudos to producer Prakash Jha, director Alankrita Shrivastava and the entire cast and crew for this wonderful women-centric film.
Overall, it is praiseworthy film due to its women-centric subject and stellar performances by the entire star cast.
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