The Dirty Picture- Female Sexuality vs Patriarchy

So let me warn you, this is not a critical review, this is coming from a person who is so smitten by Vidya Balan that I almost can't think straight. Even before I watched the movie I knew I wanted to like it, but as I was watching it I realised I so was not expecting to like it SO much.

Vidya Balan is BEAUTIFUL in the movie as Silk and and to me it was not her cleave or her thighs that made her as sexy and sensual as she is, it was her performance as an actress. She is completely at ease with her body and her sexuality. She has the power in the movie. Her sensuality was heightened by the ease with which she expressed her sexuality and the pleasure it gave her. The feeling of being in control and powerful were oozing out of her eyes and facial expressions.

No other woman could have given me warm fuzzies being all sensual on screen. She owns her sensuality and affirms it! Made the woman in me feel good!

This movie for me addresses several stereotypes about female sexuality:

The first one being that female sexuality is practically non-existant and so so taboo. Silk's sexuality is for her pleasure first and then for the spectators. She will kiss and dance and enjoy it so much that the spectator will enjoy it.

The second is that women who have relationships with multiple partners are sluts while the men remain as pure and noble as ever. This is brilliantly brought out in her relationship with Suryakanth (Nasiruddin Shah) and Ramakanth (Tusshar Kapoor). Suryakanth cannot tolerate her relationship with his brother Ramakanth while he himself is married and has had several affairs. Ramakanth asks her not to do any mischief when his parents are around and ends up dumping her because of her 'mischief'. The 'Aisi ladkiyonko bistar me le ja sakto hai Ghar me nahin' dialogue is all too familiar for me. I have heard several friends - men and women categorize women into 'girlfriend' material and 'wife' material. 

Theatrical Release poster

The third being the whole 'Be sexy for the chosen partner's (boyfriend/husband) eyes only' You dare not go about flaunting your sexuality 'attracting' other men's attention. Sexy in bed and 'Sathi Savitri' to the others! Ramakanth expects Silk to be 'good' in front of his parents while he only falls in 'love' with her because of her 'sexiness'. This is where the victim blaming comes from (and why I love the Slut walk) - if a man sexually assaulted or raped a woman it must have been cause the woman attracted it, God knows the man's so not to blame! Ugh!

The fourth is the modern idea that women have to be skinny size zero to be sexy/attractive that is driving so many young women world over to eating disorders. Silk looks gorgeous and gave my body image a nice boost. In fact I seriously doubt any other actress could have done this role with as much magic as Vidya Balan did.

This blatant portrayal of female sexuality is answered in the film with all the condemnation and curses that is typically expected from a patriarchal society, where a woman's sexuality is non-existant for the most part and not acknowledged for the rest and it is supposed to be that way. The Hyderabad anti-obscenity protests and the courts order to book an obscenity case prove it. Despite Silk being as fiery as she is, she becomes isolated and depressed and is defeated at the hands of a patriarchal society that ostracizes her and names her 'dirty'.

The message of 'Dirt lies in the eyes of the beholder and not the woman or her 'revealing' clothes' is somehow transmitted just because Silk is the central focus of the movie. She is not just a dance number girl whose sole existence is resumed to eye candy, she is a person with feelings- love, hate, joy, anger, sadness, jealousy and a strong personality. She is who she is and how you react is only your problem!

Vidya Balan I am so so impressed! The Dirty Picture is definitely a Feminist movie because it raises feminist questions (it did in my mind!) and despite being about Silk's relationship with three other men still passes the Bechdel test!

What did you think? 

I loved this letter to Vidya Balan in the Sunday Eye magazine Indian express.
Also read on Anatomy of a sex symbol about Marilyn Monroe by Joan's Digest which deals with the issue of her sexuality and patriarchal society, I first read it on Adios Barbie.