On 29th September 2022, Celluloid, the Film Society of Miranda House, in collaboration with the Women’s Development Cell, Miranda House organized a screening of ‘Testimony of Ana’ by Sachin Dheeraj and ‘A Monsoon Date’by Tanuja Chatterjee that was followed by a very productive discussion, moderated by the Vice-President of WDC, Madiha, wherein all the attendees pitched in their views and observations.
‘Testimony of Ana,’ is a movie about a tribal woman, Anaben Pawar, being accused of witchcraft and assaulted based on suspicion. The movie addressed how society doesn’t take a critical stance when looking at things. The accusation of witchcraft started a domino effect that led to a vicious cycle of marginalisation and abuse. There was a very strong element of social exclusion observed. Nobody wanted to have any form of a relationship with her. As depicted in the film, this exclusion is mostly experienced by minorities and is more than just living in isolation.
Criminal justice is very difficult in these situations. The police arrived days after the event and not everyone was convicted. The Bhagat who led the assault received bail. While the constitution promises safety, the reality for a lot of people is very gruesome. Not only physical but grave psychological and emotional trauma can be seen in her character. She wanted her granddaughter to run away from her reality so she doesn’t have to face what she did. This also shows her absolute lack of trust in any real change. Minorities may not find real safety in law enforcement agencies. Development and change is also a privilege that does not apply to everyone. This brings us to ask ourselves, “Are we developing at someone’s expense?”
In terms of the symbolism observed in the movie, She held onto the jewellery that was broken which shows her unfortunate circumstance and hopelessness but the remaining desire for justice. She couldn’t even bring herself to express her trauma, yet she could not let go of it. She has to hold on to all those ‘broken things’ symbolic of trauma. These can also symbolise her broken sense of self and shattered identity in the eyes of others. The scenes were very dark and foreshadowed a gloomy and disturbing story.
Culture and belief are used as a tool to take away from a woman’s identity and autonomy. She kept hoping that god or nature would give her justice. To visually represent this, as discussed by the inquisitive cinephiles, there was always an element of fire or water present in the background to highlight her faith.
The inspired audience noted that whenever Ana speaks of her trauma, we never see her face but only abstract visuals. It’s left to us to imagine how we interpret the incident. The camera lingers on the wall as the family is leaving, showing the emptiness she feels. There was no music except at the conclusion. Even after going through all this brutality, she hopes that her granddaughter, Aarushi, will run away from the cycle and escape what she had to face. “I am not ordering you, I am requesting you” also becomes symbolic of a patriarchal society.
The emotional impact of the documentary was disturbing but hopeful. She could have stayed quiet and left but she chose to stay and speak up. That’s the major start of a revolution. You have to speak up. The filmmakers did not sanitize the language or reduce the brutality to make the viewer less uncomfortable. They also didn’t sensationalize her experience and made it very authentic and real. They respected her integrity. Holding onto the broken pieces of jewellery, not wanting to forget those who assaulted her, moreover wishing punitive justice on the Bhagat, the village men are her form of resistance. The film’s genuity lies in the filmmaker not asserting his authority in the narrative. We never get to see the filmmaker or hear their voice. There is only the grave voice of Ana’s testimony and the striking impact shed by her silence as she recounts her experiences.
The second film, ‘The Monsoon Date,’ is the story of a transgender woman, played by Konkona Sen Sharma, and her desire to be beautiful. The movie depicts the difficulty of gaining acceptance; cis-gendered people may not understand the reality that non-conforming identities face.
We kept seeing her walking on the beach and trying to convince herself that in just a few more years and she would be beautiful. Society will accept her. However, the reality isn’t as easy or as fanciful as we would like to imagine. The shared cab is symbolic of the fact that she didn’t sign up for what she is receiving. The different characters kept living their own lives while her inner conflict carried on. That is also symbolic of society and how it stops for no one. Sen’s character has resigned herself to silence but the driver never impinges on her. The shift from the cab to the auto also shows the shift in the pace of her emotions and how she cannot deal with the speed of things progressing. She keeps asking people to leave in silence because she’s willing to have their absence but not of the sense of pride in herself that she has built after so much effort. There is also no concrete ending because the story has not ended yet. It is a tale that is yet to unfold itself completely.
The movie had very witty wordplay. The dates the Muslim family offers to her are a form of celebration because their daughter is getting married. The same dates are offered as a form of consolation to the girl going through a breakup. Another date is the one Sen’s character later goes on. Monsoon dates can truly have very different connotations!
Keeping the movie aside, we brought some questions when analyzing trans politics in real life. Is hiding your true identity and revealing it after a month of dating something that could upset someone? Sen’s character is someone who seems to be from a background that could afford to undergo gender reassurance surgery completely and transition fully. However, if she hadn’t transitioned, would it be wrong for a person to feel uncomfortable dating? Why should we deny the fact that a trans woman is a woman? What does it even mean to be a woman? There is the element of heteronormativity present in even basic attraction seen in society. Queer liberation is not just assigning or accepting a label like transgender or gay, it is more than that and seeks to question basic relationships and bonds in society.
Some opined that it was wrong to cast someone who does not actually identify as a trans person. Some representation is better than no representation but what we are trying to represent has to remain authentic. There were also some language politics involved in the way certain characters acted and adhered to typical ideas of those archetypes. It is also important to not view everything as black and white when it comes to reality.
The keen audience deduced that the class divide is represented by the elderly couple offering dates to the protagonist but the driver is handed dates picked out for them. The man seemed visibly annoyed at giving the cab driver a second date. The auto driver pays the transgender beggar because they cannot earn anything. People want their “dua” but are not willing to restore the basic dignity that we often deny them.
A Monsoon Date is a commercial film that constructs reality for you. Some provided constructive criticism of the morose appearance and the lack of happiness in queer films being a little infuriating. In every scene, there was always the mention of a partner. Whether it is the driver, the couple, or the daughter. What may be the motivation behind this necessity, if it is anything more than just a desire? Sen’s character really craved a partner all along and the irony was highlighted through these instances. We just want love and acceptance. It’s good to know the person behind the screen to understand the film better, which is why the writer of the film, Gazal Dhaliwal, who is also behind films like ‘Ek Ladki To Dekha To Aisa Laga’, ‘Qarib Qarib Single’ and ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha,’ was also discussed. Konkona Sen Sharma is also a great ally, and more than a performative one. The film was greatly appreciated by the film fraternity and the queer community.
-Pavaki
(Second year, philosophy honours)
Celluloid: The Film Society of Miranda House 