Directed by : Nisha Pahuja
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2258685/
A documentary movie that deals with two woman showcasing two different India’s to us. One, Ruhi Singh, is a contestant at a beauty pageant trying to win Miss India 2011 contest. While other, Prachi Trivedi, works at Durga Vahini camp, training girls of 15-23 age, a Hindu nationalist group exclusively for women. They both share their views about Indian culture, the place they are at, their dreams, their beliefs and the life they have lived.
Before the beauty pageant contest, all 20 contestants go through a 30 day beauty boot camp. Here, we get to see how in their attempt to achieve fame, many small town girls come and are willing to do whatever they are asked for, like the botox cosmetic surgery where the woman almost forces for changes in her look of face against the will of girl, then the skin whitening treatments, and in one of event the girls are covered from head to middle so that only their legs are visible to get judged. One of the girl says, that she doesn’t like all this, and at times she thinks about Indian culture but then she doesn’t have a choice if she has to get fame. The owner of the pageant herself calls the camp as factory, the girls are looked as objects (like the bikini round). Now the girls who pass and win, see the bright light with becoming successful models and even a chance to enter Bollywood. But the cost at which they do so, is that right ? That is the question raised.
In the camp of Durga Vahini, you feel even more saddened when you see young girls being brainwashed against western culture and the will to make the country fully Hindu with hatred for Muslims and Christians. When one of the young girl part of camp is interviewed, she says with pride that she doesn’t have Muslim friends and is happy about it. You can clearly see the influence of the camp on her mind. One is willing to kill other people if a need arises.
Prachi Trivedi looks very vulnerable at many places, and it appears the life she lived under her father who with a smile admits how he punished her in 5th standard (if i remember it right) with a iron rod on her foot, probably the anger she has hidden in herself comes out at the camp while training girls. She has a strong belief that her principles are right, and also she doesn’t go against her father because of only one reason that he at her birth allowed her to live and not kill her.
She herself isn’t willing to get married or produce children, but at one event of camp its told girls should get married at a very young age (i think they said 18), and the other alternative for kitchen work given at camp is gun rifle training. When asked about isn’t it more like being terrorist, Prachi says we don’t make bombs or keep AK47 or even ever used sulphuric acid, how can we be terrorists then. At the camp they are taught to become strong and protect themselves, and in a event a lady tells them that women will always be weak, such contradicting statements.
There are some disturbing pics shown of girls getting beaten by Hindu Nationalists when seen with a guy or at a bar.
There’s one hard hitting moment when Pooja Chopra’s mother shares her birth story when her father wanted a boy, and how nervous she felt when she found its a girl. Her mother was told, either send Pooja to orphanage, or kill her, and she almost breaks down telling this. And how happy and proud she felt when Pooja won the contest.
Also, the supportive parents of Ruhi who like watching their girl in front page of bombay times and then glued to tv screens to see her win, the disappoint on their face when she doesn’t.
The way Prachi looks at the ongoing telecast of Miss India 2011 on her tv, it made me think in two ways, one was she felt in another life she would had been participant in that contest too, and another was she was watching it with total anger thinking how badly these girls are destroying indian culture getting influenced with western, just as her father states at that time. Another way of looking at it is… why are Prachi and her father watching the contest if they so much hate it.
The best thing about this documentary is, it never takes sides and always has a non-judgmental tone. We can make our choices, which one do we support and to be frank there’s more of negative in both stories. Infact the way narration is done, there are places where you can draw parallels to both world’s. Only positives I see are, in beauty contest, the girls have a chance to get famous and get fame, plus successful life. While at Durga vahini camp, girls learn self protection, and could live a life without feeling scared of any person.
Though, the women of India aren’t limited to these two world’s shown in the movie, and I feel most would be happy not to be part of any of these.
Nonetheless, a very well made documentary, which showcased two India’s, I aint much aware of. Very deeply moving, shakes you at many moments and thought provoking when you come out of theatre.
Verdict : 4/5
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2258685/
A documentary movie that deals with two woman showcasing two different India’s to us. One, Ruhi Singh, is a contestant at a beauty pageant trying to win Miss India 2011 contest. While other, Prachi Trivedi, works at Durga Vahini camp, training girls of 15-23 age, a Hindu nationalist group exclusively for women. They both share their views about Indian culture, the place they are at, their dreams, their beliefs and the life they have lived.
Before the beauty pageant contest, all 20 contestants go through a 30 day beauty boot camp. Here, we get to see how in their attempt to achieve fame, many small town girls come and are willing to do whatever they are asked for, like the botox cosmetic surgery where the woman almost forces for changes in her look of face against the will of girl, then the skin whitening treatments, and in one of event the girls are covered from head to middle so that only their legs are visible to get judged. One of the girl says, that she doesn’t like all this, and at times she thinks about Indian culture but then she doesn’t have a choice if she has to get fame. The owner of the pageant herself calls the camp as factory, the girls are looked as objects (like the bikini round). Now the girls who pass and win, see the bright light with becoming successful models and even a chance to enter Bollywood. But the cost at which they do so, is that right ? That is the question raised.
In the camp of Durga Vahini, you feel even more saddened when you see young girls being brainwashed against western culture and the will to make the country fully Hindu with hatred for Muslims and Christians. When one of the young girl part of camp is interviewed, she says with pride that she doesn’t have Muslim friends and is happy about it. You can clearly see the influence of the camp on her mind. One is willing to kill other people if a need arises.
Prachi Trivedi looks very vulnerable at many places, and it appears the life she lived under her father who with a smile admits how he punished her in 5th standard (if i remember it right) with a iron rod on her foot, probably the anger she has hidden in herself comes out at the camp while training girls. She has a strong belief that her principles are right, and also she doesn’t go against her father because of only one reason that he at her birth allowed her to live and not kill her.
She herself isn’t willing to get married or produce children, but at one event of camp its told girls should get married at a very young age (i think they said 18), and the other alternative for kitchen work given at camp is gun rifle training. When asked about isn’t it more like being terrorist, Prachi says we don’t make bombs or keep AK47 or even ever used sulphuric acid, how can we be terrorists then. At the camp they are taught to become strong and protect themselves, and in a event a lady tells them that women will always be weak, such contradicting statements.
There are some disturbing pics shown of girls getting beaten by Hindu Nationalists when seen with a guy or at a bar.
There’s one hard hitting moment when Pooja Chopra’s mother shares her birth story when her father wanted a boy, and how nervous she felt when she found its a girl. Her mother was told, either send Pooja to orphanage, or kill her, and she almost breaks down telling this. And how happy and proud she felt when Pooja won the contest.
Also, the supportive parents of Ruhi who like watching their girl in front page of bombay times and then glued to tv screens to see her win, the disappoint on their face when she doesn’t.
The way Prachi looks at the ongoing telecast of Miss India 2011 on her tv, it made me think in two ways, one was she felt in another life she would had been participant in that contest too, and another was she was watching it with total anger thinking how badly these girls are destroying indian culture getting influenced with western, just as her father states at that time. Another way of looking at it is… why are Prachi and her father watching the contest if they so much hate it.
The best thing about this documentary is, it never takes sides and always has a non-judgmental tone. We can make our choices, which one do we support and to be frank there’s more of negative in both stories. Infact the way narration is done, there are places where you can draw parallels to both world’s. Only positives I see are, in beauty contest, the girls have a chance to get famous and get fame, plus successful life. While at Durga vahini camp, girls learn self protection, and could live a life without feeling scared of any person.
Though, the women of India aren’t limited to these two world’s shown in the movie, and I feel most would be happy not to be part of any of these.
Nonetheless, a very well made documentary, which showcased two India’s, I aint much aware of. Very deeply moving, shakes you at many moments and thought provoking when you come out of theatre.
Verdict : 4/5
