As the Western media waits with bated breath for the Sex and The City, the Film, I run look at the promos in vain for an Indian face. Can I ever see an Indian version of Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Fox, Charlotte York and Miranda Hobbes? Or perhaps the question should be can any set of Indian women whether in reel or real life display such camaraderie and candidness in relationships, especially with their fellow women? The closest Indian cinema came to Sex and the City was
Dil Chahta Hai, but that was all about three men, rather boys.
One may argue that such open and frank relationships is not possible between women, especially in a society, which is prejudiced against unmarried women above 30. (I don't want to use the word 'spinster'). But what about the women themselves? Is it so tough for educated, well-placed women to just be women and talk freely to each other without being judgemental about each other.
Judgemental- Yes, that's the problem with Indian women, not just with the society as a whole. For example I can already imagine a real life Indian version of Carrie Bradshaw, termed as 'lost' and 'indecisive', the Indian Samantha Fox as 'loose', Charlotte York as 'Behenji' and Miranda Hobbes as 'aggressive'.
Perhaps some of these labels exist in the Western world itself. But they seem to dilute and blur in the western world where ideas of individuality and 'my space' rule.
In the Asian or Indian context, where women are living upto stereotypes and doing very less to break them for their friends and families the above mentioned labels apply hard and strong.
Just how many beautiful, urban, educated, single, sexually mature Indian women will discuss orgasms and sex with frankness, without lacing it with guilt? Just how many of them can decide about a man after sleeping with him, considering that sex is an important aspect of any man woman relationship or enjoy a relationship with a men, intellectually, emotionally, or sexually without thinking of marriage.
In short, how many Indian women have the courage to be themselves and let go? Perhaps there are women out there, in Mumbai and Delhi, who let themselves go but can she ever trust the woman next to her and talk openly about what she is experiencing, even if it is plain confusion like Carrie Bradshaw,
without being judged? The handful of them who do that are told that they don't 'fit in' to the Indian society and perhaps they should consider living abroad.
Is that the answer that you give to someone who just wants to talk???
Somehow, education and career seem to have made Indian women much more 'stiff', for lack of a better word. Or perhaps it is just their way of holding up to a society which considers unmarried and single women as 'dangerous' and 'loose'. Even if she is not 'career minded' and is more of a Charlotte than a Miranda, who believes in marriage and dreams of babies, she will be immediately admonished by her 'modern' friends or may be a pushy family who think that having a career is of the utmost importance for the 'modern woman'. My question is why can't a woman just be an just choose for herself or to put it more simply why can't an Indian woman live and let live? Why can't they just remember that before being women, they are humans and individuals (not Goddesses), and have the the right to choose their life, career, or man and always remember that women who live in glass houses should not throw stones at other women.
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Well what u say is right - however, one usually see us Indians - both men and women - as stereotypes! Anyone who follow a set pattern is fine - yet those who tread the uncharted terrain are looked down upon irrespective of their sex...
so the question is In short, how many Indians have the courage to be themselves and let go?
and in today's fast paced world even all cities - the developed ones specially - the dress code is also unifying (jeans & tees & keds) making it almost a unisex world...
i also have an observation: women have started making choices - the average age at which they marry is rising (and many have chosen to be single & yet continue to mingle..) and if we take your starting point "Sex & the city" the so called affluent and the so called "labour class" (sic!) can be sen exhibiting the same social (sic!) mores.. and THIS is yet another stereotype...
so maybe the class disnction is reduced to the Haves & Have-nots (we can philosophize as to the definition of "have")?
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To be with like minded ones is a difficult task and those who make efforts -lucky as some call it- are with those with whom they can express themselves openly.so net has proved popular for few.but then you loose qaulity ears and tongues or feed backs.but great thing about many of the womens magazines is they are quite open and know about modern women with out being openly ''inviting free for all '' kind of looks oldies give you all.As a man ,husband and a father of two grown up daughters I know the requirement to openly express your needs and sexual or living style and likes dislikes traits openly and seek compatibility.men fear these women so your types need self confident men mature enough which you rarely find and end up being used and maligned ,avoid that by keeping mouth shut and make efforts to find environment suitable for such talk in India.not all who talk ''openly'' are aware and mature though.take care best wishes.
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I think, as far as woman targetting woman is concerned, it is more due to the female tendancy to demand perfectionism from others as well as self. Usually, its seen in unmarried woman. Once married, a woman sees so may imperfections in her husband that she finds any woman far better and thus bonds better with and makes more genuine female friends.
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Maam,
How I wish and long for an Indian "Sex and the city"...talking about the forbidden S,B and O words. I guess it will take time maybe a century. We are a country where homosexuality is punishable and rape is a national pasttime esp in the capital.
But we can always hope!
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its great job i thik u done u know its snap to that socity who saw their self that r belongs fron a mahan cililised sicity . n at same time women get raped very minute , every secong mentally n physcally at her won home . i appricate that every women n man too come outside n speak out .
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women who live in glass houses should not throw stones at other women. With that and the entire blog .. I totally agree!!!
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Great
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Proved again, anything with sex in the headline really does catch a million pair of eyes, i for once wrote a blog with God and Peace in the head, five people dared to come in out of which three were my own desperate attempts to increase readership....sorry no hard feeelings...and nothing personal..just a reminder of the times.
well written
Thank you
Satyeki
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I do see women discussing sex openly, including me. These are usually women who are either married or are in their late twenties or more. So more than anything else I think age and maturity has got to do with it. Also those who enjoy it are the ones who talk about it more because they are more willing to educate others on this subject.
Bold writeup nevertheless!
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Indian women-- most of them are bonded in a mental chain. She cant approve of a life like Carrie
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