The idea of Modern Muslim Women in Indian Cinema: New Image or Old Trends

Abstract

India is a diverse land where people of every religion, culture, caste, creed, and ethnicity coexist. Constitutionally, every individual, irrespective of ascribed affiliations, is entitled to equality, freedom, and justice. However, this is a significant gap between constitutional provisions and social practice. Sociologically speaking, Muslims are the minority in the country, not merely numerically but in access to equality, opportunities, and privileges.  In everyday life, right from the working places to educational institutions to access to public resources, welfare benefits, the Muslim community encounters social discrimination and exclusion. This has become a lived reality, especially in the current rise of hyper- nationalist ideologies. Cinema is not merely a tool of entertainment, but also functions as a powerful propaganda and ideological tool that shapes public perceptions. The representation of Muslims in Indian cinema was historically and culturally problematic, marked by stereotypical depictions and fundamentalist ideologies. Muslim Men are mostly depicted with orthodox mindsets, marked by specific attire, rigid body language, either proving their loyalty to the nation, or, worst, as terrorists. Although films like My Name Is Khan have challenged such stereotypes, such cases are very rare in mainstream Hindi cinema. When it comes to cinematic representations of Muslim women, it is even worse.  The portrayals of their lived realities lack social agency, marked by socio- cultural stereotypes. It is not denying the fact that Indian cinema has Islamophobic tendencies. However, with the emergence of OTT, there is a paradigm shift in the portrayal of Muslim women. Therefore, this paper will analyse three Indian films selected through the Purposive Random Sampling Method that have depicted modern Muslim women. It examines the cinematic narratives of their lived experiences to see whether these films/construct or distort the idea of modern Muslim women and the Muslim community at large.