Aswini Ashok

Anna Vetticad says in her review of Gunjan Saxena, that it is a story of one remarkable woman, but also a story of every remarkable woman that ever lived. This one line summarises everything the movie aims to portray. It is not about patriotism, not about ‘dushman-desh’ or not even about the IAF. It is just about an innocent girl aiming to soar high but put down by the society that leaves no stone unturned to say that she is not worth her dreams. But, who are they to say anyways? The Kargil girl disproves them in style. It is the story of every woman. Misogyny spares no woman. We all sail through it on a daily basis. It may be adrenaline charging to see women giving savage comebacks and dismantling patriarchy through powerful monologues on screen. But, honestly, we never do that on a regular basis. Sometimes yes. But, definitely not always. Most of the time we suck up and carry on with our work, believing our actions would speak up for itself. Gunjan Saxena is that kind. That doesn’t...

Two things totally unrelated to each other happening right now have a strange yet compelling connection. One is the Indian army’s call for women officers seeking permanent commission to start sending their applications. Another one is the promotion works of the movie, Gunjan Saxena. If you have ever wondered why this, much celebrated Kargil girl is still not serving the IAF unlike many Kargil heroes still in their uniforms. The answer lies in the first event mentioned. It is because women were not granted permanent positions in Armed forces. Well, times have changed now. The Supreme Court judgement earlier in February this year was celebrated for promising equality in the Indian army. Though it is a welcome move undoubtedly, it is imperative to understand the evolution and reasoning of the demand to understand what costs equality, even in its limited scope. Captain Bhavana Kasturi leading an all-male contingent in R-Day parade 2019 Women in Army:        ...

Shakuntala Devi premiered on Amazon prime, a day after her daughter, Ms. Anupama, officially received the Guinness record certification for her mother's record in 1980. Even this inordinate delay is not as flawed as the daughter's relationship with her mother in my opinion. Women are taken for granted even by their own daughters - And this movie shows how. Anu Menon, the director, said she wanted to showcase mother-daughter relationship which has never received as much attention as mother-son and father-daughter relationships. This answers people’s concern on why they had just went about in a touch-and-go manner about Devi’s genius. If not for the disclaimer that the movie is based on what Anupama shared, the storyline shall be brushed off as yet another insensitivity, to appease the ‘masala’-craving audience. But, this comes straight from the woman who shared that specific bond and post-release, she expressed gladness o...