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Burned by Society, Thirsty for Life.
Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, Parched, the third feature film of Indian director Leena Yadav, has been worldwide well received by critics but has struggled to perform at the box office in India, where it mostly gained attention for its explicit sexual scenes than for its content, though abroad it has encountered also a good response from the general public as a film dedicated to the struggle of women in an hostile and archaic society.
Even if at times the narrative tends to be too simple and indulging in some sort of characters' Manicheism, the film deserves to be seen for its honest storytelling of the unbearable hardship of four women and for some moment of beautiful filmography.
In a remote village in Rajasthan, the lives of Rani, a widow, Bijli, a dancer turned prostitute, Lajjo, a childless wife and Janaki, a child bride, are emotionally intertwined and clouded by the violence and savage beatings of the men that cross their existences, pushing them back every time they try to raise their heads. The characters are written to depict not only the general difficulties of women in male-dominated, archaic societies that are not unfortunately limited to rural and traditional India, as the daily news remind all of us far too often, but also to radicalise even more their hopeless, futureless marginality and lack of voice.
Subtly playing with the double meaning of the title, the four women' souls are, in different ways, dried out by the remoteness of their location and the unbearable pressure of an archaic society where a woman that reads makes a bad wife, where beating and raping is the norm, remissively and painfully accepted by the victims, but also thirsty for a life that they know they deserve and can exist. Relying on the deeply rooted friendship and intimacy, even physical, that bond their spirits and bodies together, whether matured through the years or, like for the child bride, for the memories of their past stories, they find the courage, in the end, to affirm their values as human beings, cutting ties with the men that oppress them, purifying their lives with the fire that burns the beating husband and the escape from prostitution, in an ending that, while reminiscent of Thelma and Louise, is illuminated by a ray of hope represented by their decision of which road to take at a fork and the reunion of an emancipated Janaki with her school sweetheart.
A courageous film that is well directed and able to nicely blend Hollywood and Bollywood aspects of filmmaking, Parched involves the viewers, of all genders, as the struggle for basic human recognition surpasses the man/woman juxtaposition, as hinted by the sternness and rejection of the village towards the foreign-looking wife of the local textile entrepreneur, and becomes a gender-blind human fight for humanity.
A beautiful cinematography supplements the occasional script's psychological shortcuts and the frequent bipolar over-romanticising of some of the characters that are, however, well played by most of the cast, amongst which excel Tannishtha Chatterjee in the role of Rani and Radhika Apte as her friend Lajjo.
Notwithstanding some shortcomings, Parched has a value that deserves to be appreciated not only for its much needed feminist activism and sociological angle but also as a well-crafted film.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
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Audience Member
- Parched is the time of Indian women. -
"Dedicated to the women who generously shared their lives and stories in the making of this film." - The opening titles of Parched
I wanted to watch Parched, or as it is titled in German, The time of women (Die Zeit der Frauen) as soon as I heard it would be coming to my local small, cozy cinema hall with its wooden painted ceilings.
Parched, directed by Indian filmmaker Leena Yadav (Teen Patti, Shabd), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015 to thunderous applause that rolled and rolled and rolled. And for good reason.
Parched intimately tells the story of four women who wish to part from the patriarchal Indian traditions that confine them. Rani (Tannishtha Chatterjee) is the mother of a teenage boy who she is trying to marry. Her husband left her 15 years ago and she hasn't had an encounter with another man since. That is until an anonymous man begins calling her. Janki (Lehar Khan) is the bride to be. She is 15 and therefore "at the best age for marriage". Lajjo (Radhika Apte) is Rani's best friend. She is beautiful and somewhat ferocious. She desperately wants to conceive a child but faces daily rape and violence in her marriage. Last, there is Bijli (Surveen Chawla), an erotic dancer and seductress at a night circus in the village. She is the most independent woman of the four and possesses worldly knowledge that fascinates the others.
The film unravels as a comedy and a drama wrapped together seamlessly. The women talk about men and sex and intimacy while also facing the limitations of their lives. With its picturesque scenes and convincing acting, it feels like a truly authentic social commentary on contemporary India.
Yadav describes the film as being about parched freedom, parched souls, and the parched landscape. When asked why Yadav intertwined playful scenes with challenging scenes, she said,
"I think that came from life. People find it strange that she gets beaten up in one scene and then the next scene she's laughing with her friends. But isn't that what life is? I mean just because you're beaten up, that doesn't mean that you'll be sitting depressed every day. And actually, this came from the women I met... they shared their lives and stories with me. They were all sitting and giggling and there was a woman and I asked her at one point, what are these bruises? And she's like, let's not talk about that right now. You know my husband hits me but you know that happens every day. Poor thing has nowhere to take out his anger so he takes it out on me."
Yadav comments that "I'm not giving a lesson in this film, I'm not preaching anything. I'm showing you life."
Parched really flung the doors open for me. Being a feminist in Germany while also working for the LGBTIQ* rights, it saddens me how present sexist behaviour is in our day to day life. Subtle - but present. We still have so far to go and yet this film made me ask myself, how do women set themselves free under even more challenging circumstances?
When asked by FilmicaMedia if Indian audiences will be receptive to being shown a mirror? Yadav says, "I think the audience is really divided and opinions are specific... I know Parched will find its audience even in India." She's firm in saying that she would only release Parched in India if it was uncensored. "I will only release the film that it is... we have to open up and see things for what they are... it will be silly to dumb ourselves down for whatever the censorship is. You can't stop exposure. We're being bombarded from every angle. If this film doesn't find theatrical release, people will see it on the net*."
Parched is a story about a changing Indian identity. It's about friendship, eroticism, and gender. It's celebratory, it's playful, it's harsh and it's authentic. It's life. And it's brilliant.lscreen">
*After her interview, the film was released in India in October 2016 after a fierce battle with Indian censors.
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This review was first published on Narrative Muse, http://narrativemuse.co/movies/parched, and was written by Dominique Dress. Narrative Muse curates the best books and movies by and about women and non-binary folk on our website http://narrativemuse.co and our social media channels.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/08/23
Full Review
Audience Member
More interesting for defending feminism in India than for its cinematographic values.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/25/23
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Audience Member
A film that celebrates the freedom of womanhood in rural India, 'Parched' is definitely worth a watch for its engrossing screenplay, down to earth performances and the intricacy on brutal yet conveniently ignored realities.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
cinegeek.de Leena Yadav hat Parched in einer leicht fiktionalen Welt angesiedelt, in einem Dorf namens Ujhaas. Obwohl erfunden existieren in Ujhaas doch sämtliche soziale Probleme wie die Schere zwischen arm und reich, Kinderheiraten oder Vergewaltigung in der Familie. Alkoholisierte Ehemänner, die ihre Frauen missbrauchen. Da stellt sich die Frage, was diesen Frauen die Kraft gibt, weiterzuleben? Sie existieren in einer Welt voller Kontrolle, voller Tradition. Im Privaten aber sprechen sie über die Liebe und ihre Zukunftsträume. Das Leben scheint eine lange, lange Pein, doch immer wieder unterbrochen von kleinen Momenten des Glücks. Parched erzählt extreme Geschichten als ergreifendes Melodram. Die Gefahr dabei ist die Überzeichnung der Charaktere. Jeder Mann in Parched ist ein Bösewicht und nur einer, Kishan, scheint zumindest gen Ende eine menschliche Seite zu entwickeln. Doch wer weiss? Womöglich ist das die Realität in einer Gesellschaft, in der Frauenhass normal ist? Dennoch: Ist da wirklich kein einziger guter Mann in Sicht? Trotz seiner Thematik sieht Parched aus wie ein prächtiger Bollywood Film; es wird getanzt, gut gegessen - und es gibt sogar Sex! Leena Yadav scheint geradezu einer aufkläerischen Mission für uns aus dem Westen zu folgen. Vor allem aber versucht sie, die Frauen zu verstehen, die sich resigniert ihrem Schicksal fügen.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/30/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Excellent and colourful work of art! Parched means dried out, weathered, worn out men and women in communities. Movie tells stories of three women. Women seek happiness despite suffering in male dominated society. Director tells a movie is based on stories of women who shared during her travel around Indian rural region. Very much admirable job.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/14/23
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