‘‘Kiranjit finds herself behind bars and her punishment is lifetime imprisonment but she is instead relived. Why? Because behind bars she finally found life…freedom’’[1]

How are Asian women represented in the film ‘Provoked’?

In the 21st Century there has been a great amount of change in the Asian lifestyle of living. Asian women, however, have always been seen as second class citizens by their partners and in the eyes of the law looking back into the 19th Century. Women have dominantly been portrayed this way within Bollywood movies, with examples linking back to decades ago, with films such as Sholay (Ramesh Sippy, 1975) [2] displaying this.

In turn, Provoked (Jag Mundhrah, 2006) allows audiences to address the issue of domestic violence and rape. ‘‘Within certain limits aggressive male behaviour is accepted as normal part of everyday life’’[3] amongst Asian women. The film creates awareness of what potentially occurs within Asian family households. Provoked belongs with British drama genre, even though having elements of Indian/Bollywood film styles. These elements therefore add to the authenticity of the film as they allow Provoked to attract a wider audience and attempt to create consciousness amongst different ethnical cultures.

Within Bollywood films women are typically represented as weak and ‘‘passive females’’[4], with males having full control over them. This was widely represented in the powerful Mother India (Mehboob Khan, 1957) where the protagonist is shown to be susceptible at the start of the film, but then it concludes with her fighting back for women’s justice. This is also the case within Provoked decades later, where Kiranjit Ahluwalia (played by Aishwarya Rai) is seen to be passive and vulnerable, serving ten years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life but with the help of Southall Black Sisters she manages to find freedom and independence.

Aishwarya Rai, one of the biggest globally known women within film, is more commonly known for playing major roles within Bollywood movies. In films such as Devdas (Yash Chopra, 2002) and Umrao Jaan (Muzaffar Ali, 2006) where she is seen to be an ‘‘object of desire’’[5] Aiswarya Rai seemed to appeal to the target audience of escapist males and females, with Devdas taking a spectacular £466,370[6] in its opening weekend in Britain, furthermore making it the most successful Bollywood film ever made.

In contrast Provoked only took £140,104[7] in the box office in its opening weekend, which could be due to the fact audiences were not appealed to the actress when playing a more serious abusive role. Having Aishwarya Rai play such a dominant role in Provoked, attracts a much larger target audience to the film, in both western and eastern parts of the world. Furthermore, the use of Punjabi language throughout the film helps bring out the element of Indian cinema, which adds to the realism, as well as allowing audiences to help relate to Kiranjit as the victim.

According to the National Office of Statistics, Asians have become one of the fastest growing ethnicities in Britain today, with ‘two million Asians in Britain by the end of 1999’[8], an increase of more than half a million since the 1991 Census. Moreover, Asians have become a large proportion of the UK population and now are recognised by ‘the power of the brown pound’[9]. This can be related to the proposal of how Asian films have be been increased vastly ‘over the last twenty years, attitudes in Britain towards Asian cultures have shifted, as has the taste of mainstream audiences for Asian themed films’[10] an example of this is through the success of films such as: ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2002) ‘Bride and Prejudice’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2004), ‘East is East’ (Damien O’ Donnell, 1999).

‘East is East’[11] also tackles issues of domestic violence amongst Asian women, as we see the female Ella being brutally beaten by her Pakistani husband, George. ‘‘Asian men are sexist pigs who expect their wives to stay in the kitchen, not speak unless being spoken to, walk five paces behind their husband, and bear as many children as necessary until they give their husband a son.”[12]. George is represented as a very old fashioned dominant Asian husband, who expects his wife and children to respect him at all times. He conforms to the views of Asian men, that if they do not get their way they will resort to violence as a way to give them power and masculinity.

The stereotypical representation of an exploited Asian female is also a common image in a number of British Asian texts such as, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ [13] (Gurinder Chadha, 1993) and ‘East is East’ [14] (Damien O'Donnell, 1999) where patriarchal values are evidently present. However Bollywood films have not exploited Asian women in this extreme, which could be due to the fact that Asian society has not embraced the changes in society. In western films women’s representation has changed from the 1970s after the Second Wave of feminism; however Bollywood films are taking longer to change because of the audience’s expectations, and traditional cultural expectations which they expect to be displayed in films.

The audience of Bollywood films is greater then ever due to the fact that ‘Asians as a social group now encompass ‘3.5% of the population’.[15] Nevertheless, they are still often excessively under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’ characters. Men were more likely to be assertive, whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were seen as: Adventurous, active, and victorious. Women were shown as being: Weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, laughable or 'merely token females'.[16]

‘Under a patriarchal regime, women are, by definition, excluded from positions of power and authority’[17]. Women were portrayed as submissive objects and were seen to be inferior towards males, as they were seen to be ‘breadwinners’. Women are dependant on males, as they are physically stronger then women, and the females are physically seen to be inferior towards them. Provoked shows how Kiranjit; the female protagonist is dependant on her husband and this is why she suffered with ten years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life before setting out her revenge.

''Media still replay the Madonna/Whore dichotomy, and focus in a way untypical of any other crime on the victim or, as support groups now prefer to characterize her, 'the survivor’’[18]. Aishwarya Rai could symbolize ‘The Madonna’ through her costume and body language. She is represented as timid and quiet, not revealing her body or figure in any sexual way. She is portrayed as the perfect housewife whom just caters for her husband, whilst still getting vigorous abusive off him. This supports the idea that Asian women tend stick by their husbands just not to bring a bad name upon the family as this is culturally forbidden.

Stereotypes come from ideas and beliefs of one, which can be either negative or positive. As Provoked is based on a true story the representation of Deepak Ahluwalia seems to be fair as it is coming from ones first hand experience. Asian men are represented as being over powering and controlling in Provoked. In contrast some of the dominant stereotypes of Asian men characterise them as effeminate (frail, meek, and passive) or as sexual deviants [19] this is something that Rudyard Kipling (the author of ‘The jungle book’[20]) also quotes, by saying Asian men are represented as cowardly.

However, the audience witness the opposite of what Kipling suggests, as the character Deepak is shown to very masculine and powerful completely over powering over his wife which was different to the typical stereotype suggested. In addition Asian men are stereotyped as being ‘sexually undesirable’[21] and this is represented in a scene where Kiranjit is forced to sleep with Deepak, simply due to the fact she is his wife and should obey what her husband wants.

This relates to the idea of how far Asians have come since the days of the colonialism, when the British treated Indian and Pakistani people as second rate unintelligent peasants. Some of the aspects that made them like ‘the other’ are aspects of how Deepak is treated Kiranjit throughout Provoked, because even though she is his film he is treating her in an immoral way.

Asians mainly came to Britain in the 1970s, where South Asians came to immigrate to the United Kingdom. When they did come there was a lot of racism targeted at them, ‘The term racism… is frequently used to express patriotic fervour and straightforward ignorance about other cultures’[22] this was typical amongst Asians and were classified by the term ‘‘No Blacks, No Dogs, and No Irish’’[23]. However, now Asians have gained sufficient social power and economic status in Britain. Provoked deals with colonialism in terms of the relationship between east and west. Deepak could be said to have the outlook in life and attitudes to do with his family and cultural backgrounds. Homi Bhabha has said to have believed that it is not a case for Britain vs. India, but instead there is a ‘‘Third Space and Hybridity.’’[24]

Feminism has helped to show how Asian culture has developed because in the film Provoked we see that Kiranjit was helped out by the local ‘Southall Black Sisters’, which was a non-profit organization which was established in 1979 to meet the needs of black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Kiranjit was their first case, which they helped to free and get her released from her husband’s murder. Without the help of Southall Black Sisters, it was unlikely that Kiranjit would have been freed, so because of organizations like that- Asian culture is becoming more open, due to the issues and awareness raised in Provoked it may help other women in Kiranjit’s position feel at ease about speaking about their abusive.

The mise-en-scene in Provoked, particularly Aishwaria Rais costumes replicate on her compliance and fidelity towards her husband. She is always seen wearing tradition Indian dress, salwar kameez, along with typical Asian bangles and her wedding necklace, to symbolise she is a married woman. This is keeping to Asian women’s culture, as Kiranjit was aware that she was not in her original birth country however, she still felt to keep up with tradition and the Indian cultural that’s why choosing to wear traditional costume.

This portrays the idea to the audience that even though she was born and raised in India and now living in Britain, she still has her cultural backgrounds, and this could be one of reasons why she has not confronted Deepak for all the abusive over the last ten years. She conforms to the idea that Asian women are just there to serve their husbands and are completely passive towards them.

The 20th century has become over ruled by female independence and their portrayal of being somewhat equal to men to a certain extent. Various mainstream Bollywood films such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ (Karan Johar, 1998) and ‘Dil to Paghal Hai’ (Yash Chopra, 1997)’ have promoted women as being powerful and challenging patriarchal society. Kiranjit’s character in Provoked also challenges Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, that women are ‘objectified for sexual imagery’ or just simply ‘sex objects’. Kiranjit challenges this stereotype as they is not just merely an object for desire, but instead a powerful woman, who raised the courage and strength to finally stand up to her abusive husband. However you may argue that she was still represented as the pretty, sincere and innocent housewife whom obeys her husband, which has been done to appeal to male audiences.

Provoked begins with the main characters conforming to stereotypical representations of both Asian men and women. Deepak is portrayed an alcoholic and physically abusive to his wife and Kiranjit is shown to be a typical housewife, taking care of her family and the home. ‘Women are often stereotyped as subservient to men, whether they are considered to be the dumb bimbo or a housewife, legitimizing their inferior position’.[25]. Furthermore when the films narrative moves on the audience see the typical conventions of Kiranjit being challenged as she breaks the norms and values of main stream Bollywood cinema, where we experience a female fighting back for her independence and freedom from her husband, linking to the fact that genre is ‘flexible, subject to the constant process of change and adaption, because different audiences will use a genre in a different way at different times’[26]. Kiranjit does not follow the conventional qualities of an Asian woman shown in films. Contrasting from classical Bollywood movies Provoked positions the audience to see the narrative through the female perspective, this helps create sympathy and a relationship to the audience and the character.

Mother India and Provoked similarly begin with a flashback sequence of both protagonists in the films. Nargis, the female character of Mother India is portrayed as being strong and patriotic however the audience are also made aware that she is illiterate and the start of the film. This is also the case with Kiranjit from Provoked, but she is shown to be vulnerable and weak. Due to the fact that both women are illiterate they both suffer hardship through-out their lives. With both films portraying illiteracy in a different ways, it helps to emphasise the importance of education to the audience, as well as helping Asian women to develop academically- in order to help them achieve in life and stand up for themselves.

More recent films such as, ‘Metro’ (Vipul Amrutlal Shah, 2006) and ‘Umrao Jaan’ (Muzaffar Ali, 2002) have clearly shown the changes of women in Bollywood films, decades ago. Women have become independent of their lives and have more control of what they do. This is what women fought for after World War Two in the 1960s: ‘Second wave femisinism’. This refers to an increase in feminist activity, where women thrived to increase their status and create an individuality of their own. This act was formed to give women better rights and a say in society, moreover this is something that Asian women are now seen to be doing.

To conclude, women’s representations have changed vastly over the years, with them being portrayed as active individuals towards their husbands rather than just inferior as was seen in film decades ago. This was displayed through Provoked, where Kiranjit fights back towards her husband after fighting from ten years of sever abuse; she finally found the courage to stand up for herself. Additionally, mainstream Bollywood films are progressively moving away from Mulvey’s theory of the active male and the passive female. It is still apparent that the symbolism of women in leading roles are still partial as patriarchal notions make it difficult for women to entirely break away from their stereotypical roles as they are still objectified sexually by males. In addition this idea was even displayed in Provoked, where Kiranjit was forced to sleep with Deepak because of her duty as a wife, she did so even though she did not want too, and it was not in her willpower to say ‘No’ to her husband.


Bibliography

Works Cited Books

-Cranny-Francis, A., Kirby, J., Stavropolous, P. & Waring, W. (2003). Gender Studies: Terms and Debates. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

-Gauntlett, D. (2008). Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction. New York: Routledge.

- Glen, L. (1983): Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press.

-Lee, J. (2004). Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity. New York: Routledge.

-Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media. London: A Hodder Arnold Publication.

-Maltby, Richard (2003) Hollywood Cinema. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell

-Mulvey, L. (2007). Visual and Other Pleasures (Language, Discourse, Society). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.


Movies
Bend it Like Beckham- (2002 UK) Gurinder Chadha
Bhaji on the Beach- (1993 UK) (Gurinder Chadha)
Bride and Prejudice- (2004 UK)
Gurinder ChadhaDil to Paghal Hai- (1997 India) Yash Chopra
Devdas- (2002 India) Sanjay Leela Bhansali
East is East- (1999 UK) Damien O ’Donnell
Goodness Gracious Me-(1998 UK) Nick WoodKuch
Kuch Hota Hai-(1998 Inida) Karan Johar
Metro- (2006 India) Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Mother India- (1957 Inida) Mehboob Khan
Provoked- (2006 UK) Jag Mundhrah
Umrao Jaan-(2002 India) Muzaffar Ali

Websites
www.screenonline.org.uk/filmwww.imdb.com/title/tt0166175www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html

www.commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/asians-emerge-as-the-new-moneymakers-1336640.html

http://www.asianleader.co.uk/business-news/Brown-pound-shores-up-British.1760254.jp

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238936/business

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458072/business
http://www.online-literature.com/kipling/jungle_book/

[1] Provoked. Directed by Jag Mundhra 2006
[2] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073707/
[3] Lewis Glen, 1983: Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press p.11
[4] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[5] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[6] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238936/business
[7] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458072/business
[8] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/asians-emerge-as-the-new-moneymakers-1336640.html
[9] http://www.asianleader.co.uk/business-news/Brown-pound-shores-up-British.1760254.jp
[10] www.screenonline.org.uk/film
[11] www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175
[12] www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
[13] Bhaji on the Beach. Gurinder Chadha (1993 UK)
[14] East is East. Damien O'Donnell (1999 UK)
[15] www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[16] David Gauntlett, Representation of Gender in the Past (2002)
[17] . Cranny-Francis, P.Stavropoulos, J.Kirkby (2003) Palagrave Macmillan Publishing’s: Gender Studies Terms and Debates p.244
[18] Macdonald Myra: 1995: Representing Women- Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media- Hodder Arnold p.187
[19] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishings Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity p.129
[20] http://www.online-literature.com/kipling/jungle_book/
[21] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishing’s Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity p.129
[22] Mason, David, (2000) Race and Ethnicity, Modern Britain p.9
[23]www. commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.
[24] Bhabha, Homi (2004) Routledge Publishing’s: The Location of Culture p.402
[25] Nick Lacey (1998)
[26] Maltby, Richard (2003) Hollywood Cinema. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell p.75