Shakti-The Power of the Mother The Violent Nurturer in Indian Mythology and Commercial Cinema By Jawahara K. Saidullah L'article etablit un lien entre les re­ Commercial Indian cinema ligions anciennes et les images cinematographiques modernes de Indian fIlms descended from folk l' educateur violent. La femme theatre, travelling troupes perfonn­ traditionnelle hindoue est le symbole ing religious and mythological plays de l'energie et de la puissance a in villages and towns. Naturalism in l'etat pur, « Shakti » qui detruit les acting and staging was impossible. mauvais esprits pour proteger ses The voice had to be raised to be proches et les eduque parle biais de heard, the gesture grand to be seen. ses actes de violence. Cette femme This style was transferred directly to physiquement forte est reapparue film, where it was modified only dans les films commerciaux en Inde marginally. Religiousandmythologi­ remplal;ant ainsi l'heroi"ne passive. cal melodrama formed cinematic animee d'un esprit de sacrifice. La themes. The most striking contribu­ nouvellefemmefait ce que peutfaire tion of folk theatre was in the fre­ tout heros male. sinon mieux. On quent interpolation of songs and l'appelle souvent la deesse « Kali » dances in Indian fIlms. (Das Gupta, qui venge toute injustice contre sa 1989) On July 7, 1896, a Times of personne, safamilieetsa collectivite. India advertisement invited Bombay residents to witness "the marvel of I grew up in India, amidst giant cin­ the century, the wonderofthe world." ema posters and street corners blar­ This was the first fIlm show in India: ing popular film music. In the morn­ the cinematography of the Lumiere ing, the temple bells clang and the brothers of France. Attracted to the pundits chant, as they worship the revolutionary potential of this mass statuesofthe female goddess mother: thedestroyerandrejuvenator medium, D.G. Phalkereleasedthefirst Indian feature fIlm, Rajah ofthe universe. Evenasdevotees throng tothe templesto worship Harishchandra, in 1913. (Bamouw and Krishnaswamy ) In the mother, cinema addicts queue up to box offices to watch 1931, Alam Ara. the first film with sound made by A.M. lrani, celluloid dreams unfold. This marriage of religion and fIlm is a was released. Both these films used mythological melodrama to palpable reality in India. Mythology and religion fonn strong become popular. thematic bases for Indian films. Even when the fIlms are not India's commercial cinema developed under British colonial­ mythological as such, religious imagery often appears in them. It ism, the only national cinema to do so. It emerged in its classic is particularly interesting that the images ofwomen portrayed in fonn as the "all talking, all singing, all dancing Bombay talkie." religious texts are transferred to the cinema screen. Women are Cinema is one oflndia's ten largest industries. About two films worshipped as powerfulgoddessescarved in stone while they are are made every day. (Binford) Nine hundred odd films are stereotyped as silent and self-sacrificing. Then a new woman produced annually by this prolific industry. I refer specifically to invaded the Indian screen. Butwas ita new image ora reinterpre­ "commercial" cinema as distinct from the "realistic" cinema tation ofthe old? The violent nurturer, the mother goddess ofthe which is often referred to as parallel, art, and new cinema. Art Indian screen is interesting, cathartic, and offers a sharp contrast fIlmmakers are linked by their rejection of commercial cinema to her predecessor. values, themes, and stylistic approaches. VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1 37 Audiences for commercial Indian cin­ able shackles on Indian women for count­ Rahman describes the traditional fe­ ema do not complain if the plots are too less succeeding generations.... Manu for male characters in Indian films as either improbable or too fantastic. Perhaps that the first time legally assigned to woman "the simple village girl who was content is what they pay for. a temporary escape her defmite place in the scale ofsociety." dancing around mustard fields with the into a fantasy world. far removed from (Monier-Williams) poetry spouting hero," or the "devoted reality. Economist Tariq Ali (Das Gupta However. even Manu elevated the sta­ city woman who was willing to sacrifice and Hoberman) says that these "escapist tus ofwoman as mother. He wrote that a everything for her beloved." For centu­ extravaganzas" are reminiscent of the teacher "is ten times more venerable than ries. women had been told that their Hollywood musicals during the depres­ a sub teacher. the father a hundred times strength lay in their quiet servitude. their sion. The difference is that in India. there more than the teacher. but the mother a self sacrifice and their suffering. The im­ is an almost permanent depression. and thousand times more than the father." age ofa woman as a physically dominant thus an unending stream of such fIlms is (Das) Needless to say, a woman who is being, violent and revengeful, was un­ produced. not a mother is worthless. and the only common. For centuries, people wor­ Das Gupta and Hoberman summarized way to gain societal status is to become a shipped the goddess Kali in all her awe­ the basic ingredients of a commercial mother. The biological mother is never­ some power. while Indian women stood Indian fIlm: dances and songs. cabarets theless related to the great cosmic mother, on the fringes of society. and car chases. rape and mother worship. the creator and rejuvenator of the uni­ fights and love scenes (inevitably played verse. as we shall read later. The violent nurturer: the mother in the copious lap ofnature), high pitched For decades. commercial Indian cin­ goddess melodrama with outrageous finales. Thin ema has prescribed the roles of the ideal story lines and sturdy actors connect all woman as the self-sacrificing. all-forgiv- India has recently generated a spate of the dots. A typical advertisement for a woman-oriented fIlms with a violent. al­ commercial Indian fIlm reads. "Aglossy. most bloodthirsty. avenging woman as spectacular human drama with tantaliz­ the central focus. Hers is not a senseless ing songs. nerve-splitting fights. superb violence: violencesurfaceswhen herloved suspense and heartbreaking subtle senti­ For centuries ones are threatened. She is a ferocious ments." (Binford) nurturer who does not let anyone harm people worshipped those she loves. This woman is simply the Female representations the goddess Kali reinterpretation of ancient goddess im­ ages of women. The mother goddess is Mythology and religion have formed in all her awesome perceived as the creator of the universe. the themes both directly and insidiously power while Indian She is the primal energy that created the for Indian films. Since religious and women stood on the universe. Baig quotes a famous tantric mythological themes have been trans­ prayer. "Only when I am conjoined with ported to the silver screen. traditional fe­ fringes ofsociety. thee, 0 Shakti, have I the power to be male representations persist. The mother absolute Lord. otherwise God would not has been venerated in Hindu tradition. In even be able to move....'· Shakti means 1928. Ghosha wrote that the essence of power, which is female energy in its pur­ womanhood lies in motherhood. The tra­ est form. The Hindus believed in the en­ ditional Indo-Aryan attitude is that ofMa ingmartyr. The 'cryingmother' and 'dewy ergy of the female. Shakti exists to give or mother. even for her husband. "The eyed heroine' were common depictions power to the male gods in the guise of idea of all encompassing motherhood as (Das Gupta. 1985). The message for their female consorts. However, her role the highest principle was fmnly accepted woman in Indian films is that the pinnacle is enabling. not merely supportive. in Vedic times. transmitted to all other of her ambition is marriage. If she has (Robinson) The numerous female con­ periodsandhas throughoutallages formed different desires. ifshedeviates from it, it sorts are manifested in the preeminent the basis of the exceptional degree of is seen as a betrayal ofher biological and goddess herself. "the Devi. as primary reverence paid to the mother." (Das) functional role and she pays for it in embodiment ofshakti." Ancientpre-Ary­ Ancient Indian religion was strangely humiliation and defeat. (Vasudeva and ans (2,000 RC. and before) also wor­ liberal in its treatment of women. Only Langlet) Even if the heroine's husband shipped a female goddess. That is. "Life later. as civilization developed. did the mistreats her or has extra-marital affairs. came from food. Food came from soil. Manusmriti appear to crystallize the fate it is her duty to forgive him, for he is her man camefrom woman. woman gave life. ofIndian womanhood into subordination. 'lord.' In fIlms like Pati Parmeshwar It is not astonishing that God was a Manu. the author of Manusmriti wrote (Husband is God. 1988). Naseeb Apna woman." (Baig) down edicts of behaviour for all classes Apna (Different Destinies. 1986). and All the independent. lower goddesses and types of people. He was largely re­ Daasi (Female Slave. 1981). the martyred are fused into her persona. In her most sponsible for the diminished social status traditional wife who wins her man from violent form, she is Kali-the demon of women. "Manu's code...has had the the 'bad'. modern. ambitious woman is slayer. who rides a tiger. has eight arms. most negative effects. forging unbreak- celebrated. wears a necklace ofskulls. and holds aloft 38 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME the bloodied head ofa slain demon. In her fer. Everybody now wants the heroine to Robin Hood, who beats up men. Her vil­ benevolent form, the goddess is Parvati, behave like Jhansi ki Rani on the screen." lage is often raided by the bandit, Uma, and Sati. When she becomes a de­ The lastreference is to the youngqueenof Changeza.