This presentation discusses feminism in Hindi cinema through an analysis of the film Queen. It summarizes the key themes of feminism and provides context on influential feminist critics like Simone de Beauvoir. The presentation then analyzes how Queen portrays women in a positive light by normalizing behaviors traditionally seen as inappropriate for women. It shows how the film passes the Bechdel test by focusing on the friendship between two women. Overall, the presentation examines how Queen promotes feminist ideals of empowerment and independence for women.

1. Presentation Semester 3
Presented by : Pina Gondaliya
Subject: Literary Theory and Film
Studies
Topic : Sutdy of Feminism in Hindi
Cinema
Submitted To: Department of English.

2. What is Feminism
▫ Belief in and advocacy of
the political, economic and
social equality of the sexes
expressed especially
through organized activity
on behalf of women’s rights
and interests.
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3. ▫ Feminist social theory has been concerned with understanding
fundamental inequalities between women and men and with
analyses of male power over women.
▫ Its basic premise is that male dominance derives from the social,
economic and political arrangements specific to particular societies.
▫ This mode of theorising derives its concepts and methods from the
social sciences and focuses on the material conditions of women’s
lives and the ideological processes which legitimate and help to
perpetuate women’s subordination.
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4. Feminist Critics
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Mary Wollstonecrat
● English writer,
philosopher, and
advocate of women's
rights
Simone De Beauvoir
● French Writers,
intellectual,
feminist and
social theorists.
Virginia woolfs
● English writer
considered one
of the most
important
modernist 20th
century authors.
Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie
● Nigerian Writer
whos works
include novel,
short story and
non-fiction

5. Representations of women
in Cinema
▫ Changing times have brought into the limelight
several successes directed by women—Gully
Boy by Zoya Akhtar, Deepa Mehta’s Fire and Earth,
and the popular film English Vinglish by Gauri
Shinde, are a few of the many pieces that are slowly
bringing in a much-needed change to the industry,
through representation of women from all walks of
life.
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6. Study Queen Movie with Feminist
Perspectives
Bollywood movies are usually about heroism
where a man rescues and comforts the female
character and takes responsibility to fix all
problems.
Most superstar in the lead role. However looking
at the recent trends in Bollywood we can see that
there is a small shift from the typical movies to a
new kind of woman oriented cinema.
One such movie is Queen whichas restored our
faith in good quality cinema.
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7. It normalises the Idea of a girl doing things
which are still looked down upon.
▫ In many countries including India
women doing things like drinking,
traveling solo, gambling and dancing
in public or still demonised by many.
▫ Queen does a Fabulous Jov of
normalizing all these notions
through a simple character like Rani.
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8. It Shows an unapologetic single mom,
whi is a not a quintessential ‘Abla
Naari’
▫ Classic Bollywood movies have
shown single mother as those
who are ever suppressed and
ostracized by society.
▫ Lisa Haydon’s character is a
refreshing change being a free
spirit who is strong enough to
fend for herself and her child.
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9. It Shows how there's nothing wrong in
being boisterous fun, outgoing and
simply being yourself.
▫ Lisa Haydon’s character, or
Vijaylakshmi, in any other
Bollywood film would have been
the vamp, or at least a character
with some shades of grey.
▫ But Queen tears through
superficial social layers and
shows how she is just another
girl with a heart of gold.
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10. It shows how it’s okay for women and
men to stay together.
▫ Queen shows how women and
men staying together under one
roof can result in a perfectly
platonic relationship, that does
not have to end up in sex.
▫ Also, it shows how all men are
not potential rapists that just
need the presence of a woman to
‘lose control.' Take that, M.L.
Sharma!
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11. It passes the Bechdel test!
▫ The film shows a beautiful friendship
develop between two very unlikely
individuals—Rani and Vijay (Haydon).
▫ They are shown enjoying themselves
and painting the town red without
needing the presence of a man.
▫ They truly show how there’s so much
more to one’s personality than the
frivolous outer layer that society
perceives of us.
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12. ▫ Regarding the title of the film, Shoojit Sircar, in
one of his interviews said that the title is
meant to destigmatise ‘pink’ as a feminine
colour and the various associations that are
made with it.
▫ But, during the entire course of the film, not
even for once, this association has been
substantiated and most people are reading it
as, “film about women and 'Women
empowerment', hence pink.”
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13. Continue
▫ Tapsee Pannu (Meenal) stands out in her role as a determined
woman who is not ready to back out and is ready to take up
challenges. Kirti Kulkhari’s character of Falak is shown as the most
collective of all, who, (and we loved her for this) brought in the
importance of consent even when it is a sex worker we are talking
about.
▫ Andrea Tairang (Andrea) does justice to her role with an impactful
presence and enforces the idea of the shallow mindsets of most
people who think that women from North-East are an “easy-
target.”
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14. Rudramadevi
▫ Since Ganapathideva had no sons, he
performed the Putrika ceremony and
formally designated Rudrama Devi as a son.
For her male recognition, she was named
Rudradeva. On the advice of the Prime
Minister, Ganapathideva also nominated
Rudramadevi to be his ‘male heir’.
▫ She rose to power in her early teens when
she was appointed co-regent and ruled
alongside her father. She maintained the
designation that was bestowed on her and
ruled as a King. She wore male attire and
maintained a similar demeanour. 14

15. Work Citation
▫ “Feminism.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism.
▫ Jackson, Stevi, and Jackie Jones, editors. Contemporary
Feminist Theories. Edinburgh University Press, 1998,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrxc7.
▫ Nivedita, Hazra. “Rudrama Devi: The Queen Who Wore a King's
Image: #Indianwomeninhistory.” Feminism In India, 8 Nov.
2019, https://feminisminindia.com/2019/11/08/rudrama-
devi-queen-kings-image/.
▫ Tatsita Mishra. “A Feminist Reading of Pink | Feminism in
India.” Google, Google,
https://www.google.com/amp/s/feminisminindia.com/2016/
09/20/feminist-film-review-pink/%3famp.
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