’Women aren’t hens’

Motherhood should not be a compulsion, says director Alankrita Shrivastav

Motherhood should not be a compulsion, says director Alankrita Shrivastav

At one point, women post 20 were considered old hags. The situation has gotten only little better now and the age has been pushed back to 30.

Director Alankrita Shrivastav with Gul Panag during the shooting of Turning 30

But have things really changed much for women? Director Alankrita Shrivastav made a bold stand on the issue with her movie Turning 30. MiDDAY caught up with the director ahead of International Women's Day. Here are excerpts:

Given the condition of women in our country, have you ever felt bad about being a woman?
I love the fact that I am a woman and wouldn't change it for anything. I can't count how many times I have woken up in the morning and felt glad that I am not a man. So it does feel special.

Do you think picking out one day in the calendar and celebrating it as International Women's Day is justified?
Yes, but it would be great that on that one day, women should look at themselves and feel good about being a woman. Women subconsciously suffer from low self-esteem and constantly look for validation from men. That should change. They should respect and value themselves irrespective of what people think. If International Women's Day evokes such a thought process it would be great.

What do you think about the condition of women in our society at present?
The sharpest phenomenon is the rise of women in the workforce. Education has brought in independence, made them aware of their identity and also pushed back marriage age. Right now, we are caught in a flux between tradition and modernity. The opening up of the economy and the rise of the private sector has helped. But in the rural areas, girls still get marriage at 15-16. Women need to understand that they are not just objects of procreation. They are not hens who just lay eggs. Women need to ask themselves why it is so important to be a mother. Motherhood should not be a compulsion.

Have you ever felt discriminated against in any way because of your gender?
The society always makes you feel inferior. I had to fight an internal battle to take myself and my work seriously. When I was working on Gangajal, there were three women in a set of 300. After 10-12 years, a lot more women have joined the industry. But there are all kinds of discriminations. The industry is patriarchal and dynastic.

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