The Politics of (Fe)male gaze in Hindi Cinema

Abstract

This study attempts to produce an account of women’s subjectivity in Hindi cinema by primarily dealing with the politics of the male gaze and the female gaze. The male gaze is the objectifying gaze and the female gaze touches on the issues of women’s representation. This article largely deals with the politics of Hindi cinema and its evolution. The changing status of Hindi cinema coincided with the change in the socio-political climate of Indian society. This article lies in countering the stereotypes catered to by the heterosexual male gaze and looks at the narratives in Hindi cinema that align with the politics of the female gaze. The shifting gaze in Hindi cinema was brought by the New Wave Indian Cinema that originated in Bengal with Satyajit Ray’s Charulata (1964). This film earned a reputation for producing a female-centric narrative that allowed the expression of female experiences, autonomy and emancipation.