Male Gaze
The Hindi film industry, or Bollywood, has long been criticized for its portrayal of women on screen. Several articles have been written about Bollywood and its casual sexism. However, do you know the concept of the male gaze and how the Bollywood film industry has propagated it ?
Coined by film theorist Laura Mulvey, the term ‘male gaze’ refers to the way in which the camera lingers on the female body and presents it as an object of desire for the male viewer. Mulvey claimed that films respond to a deep-seated drive known as “scopophilia”: the sexual pleasure involved in looking. She argued that most popular movies are filmed in ways that satisfy masculine scopophilia. Women are characterized by their “to-be-looked-at-ness” in cinema. In other words, the women is a “spectacle”, and man is “the bearer of the look”.
The male gaze has three perspectives: that of the man behind the camera, that of the male character(s), and that of the male spectators. Item numbers are a prime example of this: think of Katrina Kaif gyrating to “Chikni Chameli” in the 2012 Karan Malhotra-directed remake of Agneepath. During the course of the song, Kaif is objectified by three different groups of males; Malhotra through the camera lens, Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan and the group of extras in the scene, and the men in the audience watching the movie.
Ever watched a movie and noticed the camera focus on the back of a girl? Zoom in to her curves and then zoom out to her walk? What the camera does in such movies is that it gives us ownership of such male gaze. The worst part ? Oftentimes we do not even realize that we are subjecting the actresses to the male gaze.
While giving the above examples, it goes without saying that rap songs by all our beloved ‘artists’ have crossed all limits of propagating the male gaze. Be it ‘Chaar Bottle Vodka’ or ‘Blue Eyes’ ( telling the female how ‘bomb’ she looks in a short dress ) these songs have done nothing but glorify the male gaze.
The use of the male gaze in Bollywood movies is also problematic because it limits the representation of females on screen. This lack of representation further perpetuates the idea that women are not important or worthy of attention, and that their stories are not worth telling. Female protagonists are often depicted as objects of desire: sensual, playful, coy, flirty, decidedly feminine. Many a time they are arm candy, or props to the narratives of men. The spectrum of female archetypes available for the women of the Indian film industry is painfully limited. Any exploration beyond this realm is deemed an ‘art film’ or the character is treated as an outlier, often a comic relief or the very obvious object of non-desire from the men — think Anjali in the first half of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Sanjana in the first half of Main Hoon Na. Obviously if the women were to remain relevant for the second half, they had to transform into something more ‘appealing’. Other times, she’s the muse, inspiring feelings of protection, admiration, and affection.
THE NORMALIZATION OF THE MALE GAZE : Remember when Raveena Tandon performed on the song Tip Tip Barsa Paani? An evergreen song right? Now, do you remember what parts of the actress got footage in the video even before her face was shown? No? This is exactly what the problem with the cinematic male gaze is. It has been normalized so much that we sit through it without even realiziing the problem. The song starts with Raveena Tandon’s waist, hips, arms, back, and breasts, followed by a repeat in the same order, and then finally her face. As uncomfortable as it sounds, songs like these give a thumbs up to the male gaze. The use of the male gaze in Bollywood movies is a clear indication of the deeply ingrained misogyny in the industry. Women are often reduced to mere objects of desire, with their bodies and sexuality being used as a means to attract male audiences. This objectification of women not only demeans them, but it also reinforces harmful stereotypes and perpetuates the idea that women are inferior to men. This situation is not exclusive to Bollywood, it is a global issue. However, the industry has an immense following, and the representation of women, or lack thereof, in Bollywood movies has a significant impact on the way in which women are perceived in Indian society.
AN ALTERNATIVE ‘GAZE’ : So, can the movie not be shot and viewed through a lens that looks deep enough to be impacted by the subject rather than merely consume women as an object of male fantasy ? It is definitely possible, and in recent times several movies have been successful in doing so. For example, in Raazi (directed by Meghna Gulzar), the protagonist Sehmat is trained by Indian Intelligence to spy on a Pakistani military family and deduct their secrets which will save the country from going into another war. Now, female spies are often sexualized or even fetishized in action movies, Hollywood and Bollywood alike. They are typically represented as sexually attractive women and who use their charm as a tool to manipulate men. While Sehmat does charm her way in the family, what stands out throughout the film is her abject sincerity to the cause she is leading and her vulnerability in a house full of strange men. The camera follows her movements and her expressions, as she inches closer to completing her mission. We need films where female characters navigate patriarchy, have their own likes, dislikes, dreams, insecurities, friendships, careers, mental issues even; where they love and support the men in their life but not to the point of losing their individuality, women who are beautiful for their minds and their bodies because they themselves think so. Films which are directed with the assumption that men and women both are part of the audience and deserve equal representation. IN
CONCLUSION: It is crucial for the Indian film industry, as well as the society, to change the way in which women are portrayed on screen and to start portraying them as strong, complex, and fully-realized individuals. This can be achieved by hiring more female filmmakers and screenwriters, as well as by creating more roles for women that are not defined by their relationships to men. Additionally, the industry should also strive to create a more inclusive and equal working environment for women. It’s essential to work towards dismantling the patriarchal system that is inherent in the industry, and to provide equal opportunities for women to succeed
-Written by Juhi Bajpai & Pranav Ajith
