More than a veil

Language: English
Year / Duration: 2002 / 28mins
Format: DV

A synopsis

What’s the thought that crosses your mind when you see a woman with a veil? – That it’s radical? That it’s stifling – demeaning to her status? Most of us fall victim to stereotypes – perhaps because they are so simplistic, so easy to understand – or maybe because of the intolerance breeding in our societies. Whatever the reason, a complex web of truths is hidden away by the ‘obvious’ – by the ‘popular’ notions of reality. For take the veil. Whether it’s a partial covering of her head like the ghoonghat or a complete one where she looks upon the world through the laced slit of a burqa, it has many facets. Purdah hai Purdah explores these facets of the veil, of the woman and the equations they share between themselves and with the world outside. It wonders what a woman feels about wearing it or not wearing it. And why she feels that way. Does it curb her sexuality? Or enhance her individuality? Is wearing a pair of jeans the cultural opposite of wearing a veil? Is one ‘emancipating’ and the other ‘a yolk’? Through the medium of the purdah, the film raises several questions as it takes its journey into the lives of contemporary Indian women across perceived religious divides.