How often is it that a Hindi film transcends decades only to be recalled as one of the finest films made in the history of cinema? Quite rare, right? Such is the profound impact that this monumental period drama aka Mughal-E-Azam, still holds. For its legendary cast, magnificent costumes, iconic songs and visual splendour, it is lauded and rightfully so. Today marks 65 years since K Asif’s Mughal-E-Azam starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala released.
Although marked as a hallmark of a film for its cinematic brilliance, today, in hindsight, the film can be gauged from an effective lens of feminism, too. At its heart, it follows the love story of Prince Salim and the court dancer Anarkali whose love faces disapproval from Emperor Akbar leading to tragic events making it a marvellous romantic tragedy. But beneath the romance lies a deeper commentary on power dynamics, gender equality and more. Let's take a deeper look at the same.
1. Anarkali’s entombment symbolic of restricting female desire
The idea of male gaze has long been explored in feminist theory. Essentially, it conveys how women are often viewed as objects of desire for male pleasure in visual arts. Anarkali, played by the ethereal Madhubala, is both admired and punished for her desirability. She is a muse controlled by the patriarchal mindset. Her life, her will, her choice is defined by the men who controlled the society she inhabits. When the immurement of Anarkali is declared, it becomes a chilling metaphor of the extent to which a patriarchal system can go to suppress female agency. It is symbolic of all the trajectories that were thrown in the face of a woman who dared to love.
2. Akbar’s patriarchal ability to exercise control and prioritize status
The film beautifully navigates the idea of identity. One of the poignant aspects of the film is that the status quo always overpowers love. Emperor Akbar forbids his son Salim’s courtship with Anarkali only because she belongs to the lower strata of class. Moreover, she is doubly oppressed, firstly because of gender and secondly because of class. Anarkali’s identity is stripped away from her even before she gets a chance to claim it back. On top of that, her name, the very marker of our individuality isn't something hers, it is given to her by Akbar.
3. Double standards of love
After Salim is defeated in a battle against his father Akbar, he is sentenced to death. However, the sentence is revoked on the condition that if Anarkali surrenders herself the prince’s life will be saved. Anarkali being the naive woman in love, surrenders and is held captive. Salim, despite being the one to initiate rebellion against his father, is spared of the consequences but Anarkali with no fault of her own is expected to sacrifice. In her seminal work on feminism, The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir writes "her wings are cut, and then she is blamed for not knowing how to fly", which aptly applies to Anarkali. First, she is expected to forfeit her freedom and even her life and then her sacrifice is romanticized.
What patriarchy demands of Anarkali is a complete sacrifice. “Agar mere marne se Shehzade ki jaan bach sakti hai... toh main yeh qurbani dene ko tayyar hoon”, she cries, and this reflects the internalized inequality that has left her helpless in a system where she must prove her love time and again. Simone de Beauvoir’s assertion that “Man is the subject, woman is the other”, proves hauntingly true here.
4. Emotional resilience of Anarkali
Despite going through the period of adversity that Salim and Anarkali do, so pure is the vigour of their love, that even in what is supposed to be her final moments, she begs for a few hours with her beloved Salim. “Bas kuch ghadiyan de do... jise main apne jeevan ki poonji samajh saku”, she asks. She is trapped but unbowed, vulnerable yet unbroken. Her words are furious enough to shake the conscience of the undefeatable Akbar and get him to agree to her desire. Therefore, rarely is Anarkali looked upon with pity. Instead, she remains a classic epitome of beauty draped in dignity and agency.
5. Jodha Bai - the quiet feminist
In a world where women’s voices are often pacified, Jodha Bai finds a way to quietly resist. Despite living in the same oppressive system, Jodha Bai is someone who sees the human in Anarkali and doesn't subject her just as a dancer. Although not overtly and loudly supportive, Jodha Bai does perform certain actions that act as silent rebellion, like advocating for Anarkali’s safety and her wish to see Salim in her final hours. She is not confrontational in overthrowing patriarchy, but she does make gentle efforts to offer emotional solidarity to a woman who dared to love.
All in all, Anarkali remains a brilliant epitome of women who dare to love in a man’s world and a sacrifice that still echoes in cinema louder than ever.
from filmfares https://ift.tt/u2GHsiD
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