Baahubali's Devasena captures the true spirit of Indian women
Aise uphaaron ke liye aap jaisey log pooch hilatey hongey, merey liye yeh pair ki dhool bhi nahi - Baahubali: The Conclusion
"For gifts, people like you may wag your tails, but for me, these are nothing but the dust of my feet" - no statement can define womanhood better than this, where neither is she an object, nor does she compromise her dignity for any object.
Devasena of Baahubali is a larger-than-life character who has reincarnated womanhood with the rainbow of life, full of love, respect, duty, dignity, righteousness and courage.
In a patriarchal society where her sacrifice and love are taken for granted, where her respect and dignity are considered secondary and where her courage and righteousness do not matter, Devasena strongly presents the reel picture of real women in India.
In the world of cinema, women have largely, or it would be more apt to say, mostly, been depicted as objects who will either sacrifice everything to make others happy or will be projected as an object of lust.
In today's cinematic world of Munni badnam hui, Main tandoori murgi hun, gatka ley saiyyan alcohol sey... and what not, the recent epic film Baahubali has played a significant role in defining “womanhood” in this present world of “manhood”.
Bold yet feminine, courageous and truthful, accepting a man for who he is rather what he has, a warrior than a loser, and last but not the least - a woman with nerve of steel, is what Devasena stands for. A true reflection of a woman in your neighbourhood...
Where a woman is the saviour, where she has the courage to undermine the existing myth of women being less powerful than men - the whole storyline for her character is the beautiful and strong depiction of the existence of a woman, where her beauty is not of face value but of the value system she is firmly standing for. She does not need a man to complete her status but stands with a man to be his companion.
Many have called the character of Devasena a character of reel, but deep down a woman like her exists in every household of our country, from India to Bharat, who is fighting her own battle from farm to family. The need is for every Devasena to realise it and understand that she will have to get her support from within and not outside.
Fighting for the cause of her nation, she puts her sexuality as secondary and has a mind of her own - she uses the colours of duty and her attitude and comes up with a stunning portrait of “womanhood”.
I wonder whether director SS Rajamouli's effort will be recognised for what it was or will it get stuck in the debate of how the Baahubali series is only "reel reality"?
Masculinity is not a synonym for strength and courage; it is beautifully depicted through Devasena where, immediately after giving birth to her child, she stands for justice, looking for an answer without taking pregnancy as a weakness.
Those for whom a woman is "marriage material", docile, fragile, sweet and above all a devi of sacrifices, must decode the strong message Devasena has to give.
There is one instance where Devasena does not wait for the right time but has the courage to make the time right - despite being pregnant she boldly stands for the dignity of a fellow woman. The particular instance has a message for women - don’t stand up only when you are a victim, but take steps in your area of influence when other women are at threat.
The power of courage is much more than the strength of fear. A fearless attitude towards issues and raising one's voice is the need of the hour to make the environment conducive for women to live the way they want.
The particular character also presents a different way of defining a couple - rather than just being the proud wife of Baahubali, there is the proud husband of Devasena (in one scene Baahubali is proud of what she did for saving a woman's dignity). "Aurat par haath daalne wale ki ungaliyaan nahi kaattey, kaat tey hain toh gala (those who touch women inappropriately - it is not their fingers but their throats that should be cut)," says Baahubali.
Devasena has definitely left an imprint on women in India.