Bengali Feminist watches grew to be an important category of binge over the years. Earlier Bengali watchlists had nothing of the sort to their name. Bengali serials mostly revolved around a daughter-in-law's conflicts with the mother-in-law. However, today Bengali watches have been offering more than that.
The recent OTT boom could be responsible for authentic content streaming across devices. It has allowed for a bolder and more authentic narrative which also impacted the television industry to reconsider the content it was streaming. Here, introducing three Bengali watches that have feminist themes.
Bengali Feminist Watches For Bong Woman
Cheeni
This movie is available for viewing on Hoichoi, a regional Bengali OTT platform. This tragicomedy was released in 2020 and displayed distinct content from the conventional content on television.
This movie follows the relationship of mother and daughter ">Cheeni and Mishti. Both women are survivors of domestic abuse. Their trauma affects their lives much after their abusers are gone as both work to heal their wounds. We are introduced to a therapist, an entity non-existent in mainstream Bengali daily soaps.
The audience witnesses an absent father and a domestically abusive husband. The movie depicts live-in relationships, partying, and exposed clothing, all of which is a taboo in Bengali television shows.
Aye Tobe Shohochori
This is a surprising feminist watch as a Bengali serial aired on television because of its plot. In its plot the serial pairs up a daughter-in-law and mother-in-law navigating the odds of being a woman in a Bengali household. They help each other grow. This is contrary to the age-old storytelling of pitting women against women in daily soaps.
The mother-in-law strives to complete her education at a late age post-marriage, a right that was denied by her husband’s family. She receives the support of her daughter-in-law in the aforementioned endeavour.
This Bengali serial sees both women take a stand for themselves more often instead of playing the damsel in distress as is the norm. The serial originally aired on Star Jalsha and is available on Hotstar.
Indu (Season 1 & 2)
This Hoichoi original is an OTT thriller series. The series revolves around an ever-obedient Indu who marries a scheming family that wishes to see her dead to keep their secrets buried. The series follows a calm-headed detective Indu trying to resolve murders in the family.
She challenges all of the ideals that Bengali daughters-in-law are expected to follow. She often suffers taunts for her conduct. However, her steely resolve lends her motivation to persist in the search for truth when times are difficult.
All three Bengali feminist watches mentioned above deal with separate issues and different generations of women. Bengali feminist watches are essential because this wave is new in an industry that portrays women as the weaker sex. The watches mentioned above see women taking back their power and reclaiming their narrative. They share strong characters that inspire their audience.
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