Author: Azka Syed
Abstract
Pakistani films’ portrayal of female characters often fits within the normative paradigm of femininity in Pakistani society. Punjabi action cinema of the 1970s and 1980s, however, experienced a shift towards a regular inclusion of subversive female characterization. This paper is an examination of this transformation in the characterization of women in Punjabi action cinema of this time. In these films, female characters handled rifles instead of flowers, their dupattas were exchanged for tight-fitting dhotis and kurtas and their genteel gait was replaced with heavy, pounding steps. While such a characterization of women is considered a subversion of the highly patriarchal setting of cinematic rural Punjab, it can also be interpreted differently when one views it as a product of patriarchy itself. Women in such films come off as bold characters at first glance; however, they can also be simply recycling the hyper-masculine characteristics of their male counterparts to appear dauntless onscreen. As the plots progress, these chhavis (‘smart-mouthed girls’) are eventually relegated to the traditional roles of dhis (‘daughters’), obedient behnas (‘sisters’) or committed sohniye (‘dears’ or ‘lovers’).
Keywords
Punjabi Action Cinema, Gender in Film, Subversive Female Characters, Hyper-masculinity
