Body, Border and Beyond: An Ecofeminist Study of Srijit Mukherji’s Begum Jaan and Deepa Mehta’s 1947: Earth

Abstract

Ecofeminism connects women with nature, and proves that both of them are vehemently dominated by the patriarchal society. The term ‘ecofeminism’ is first introduced by the French feminist Francoise d’Eaubonne in Le Feminisme ou la Mort (1974) and translated into English as Feminism or Death (1989). Ecofeminist Ynestra King argues, “Ecofeminism is about connectedness and wholeness of theory and practice . . . It is the same masculinist mentality which would deny us our right to our own bodies and our own sexuality and which depends on multiple systems of dominance and state power to have its way” (28). Ecofeminism represents a bridge between ‘ecology’ and ‘feminism’ in which ‘female’ is naturalized and ‘nature’ is feminized. The territory, nature and woman’s body become play-things in the hands of patriarchal politicians. Driven by the inherent quality to protect and nurture her children, the female-body acquires a deep connection with nature, plants, land, soil, and animals as well. Srijit Mukherji’s Begum Jaan (released in 2017) and Deepa Mehta’s 1947: Earth (released in 1998) are set in North-Western part of India during the time of independence. The drawing of Radcliffe Line and partition prove to be a massacre to the lives of the people in general and to the lives of the women in particular. In Mukherji’s film, the titular character Begum Jaan―the brothel-owner, and her girls are ordered to evacuate their mansion or kothi as Radcliffe Line will pass directly through their kothi. Their bodies, their pet animals and Mother-Land are shattered by the hands of the political leaders. In Deepa Mehta’s film, 1947: Earth, based on Bapsi Sidhwa’s novel Cracking India, the narrator little Lenny in Lahore describes the story of cracking of India and tattering the bondage between herself and her nanny, Shanta. In both films, female bodies are commodified, tortured as well as naturalized and Mother-Land is tattered, shattered and feminized by the hands of patriarchal politicians.