Film lecture examines Indian widows' sexuality

JNU historian will discuss the development of the Indian nation as represented through women's bodies in late 20th century film.

Traditions in Hindu culture outline socially appropriate behaviours and roles for unmarried, married and widowed women.

Widows are expected to choose one of three options: marry her husband’s younger brother, burn with her dead husband, or lead a life of self-denial. 

Late 20th century Indian cinema underwent significant changes in representing women's sexuality, particularly Hindu widows.

In a special guest lecture, Dr Jyoti Atwal will explore how the issue of national development was addressed through the iconic representation of a woman's body in Mother India (1957).

She will also examine the failure of gender reform after independence as represented through two films of actor-director Raj Kapoor, Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).

Questions of women's sexual representation and women's reform remain inextricably linked in contemporary film-making. 

Water is a dark story of rural Indian widows in the 1940s and covers controversial subjects such as misogyny and ostracism. Directed by Indo-Canadian Deepa Mehta, Water was Oscar-nominated for best foreign language film.

Dr Atwal will outline the historical context of these representations while showing clips from various movies. 

Speaker biography 

Dr. Jyoti Atwal is a historian at the School of Social Sciences in Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is a Visiting Academic in DCU's School of Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies from March to May 2013. 

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)

Jawaharlal Nehru University is a public central university in New Delhi.

India has over 550 universities. JNU is ranked second among India’s public universities. In 2012, The National Assessment and Accreditation Council gave JNU a grade of 3.9 out of 4, the highest grade awarded to any educational institution in the country.

Event details

Thursday, 11 April 2013, 12:00 - 13:00

Cinematic Representations of Sexuality of Indian Women and Widows

Venue: C103, first floor of the Henry Grattan Building, DCU

All are welcome. No need to register.

This Guest Lecture is organised by DCU EROSS (Expressions, Research, Orientations: Sexuality Studies), a DCU-based research group aimed at investigating in an open fashion the varied processes and variations in sexual cultures, sexual identities and gender role formation.