Published Paper Details:

Women in most settled societies have experienced unequal status, exploitation and oppression on account of their gender. Leena Yadav in her film Parched has explored the underlying reasons for the secondary treatment of women and the varied paths towards empowerment through the characterization of four women Rani, Lajjo, Bijli and Janaki belonging to a conservative society in rural Rajasthan. The paper examines how patriarchy, traditional values and lack of education affect the lives of women in the movie leading to their suppression. It also analyses the commodification of women's bodies, the role of marriage in women subjugation and the impact of motherhood as a repressive force. The role of language in reinforcing gender inequality is discussed too. It sheds light on the importance of female companionship and empowerment of women to break away from the shackles of patriarchy. Essentially the paper is an attempt to identify and address the forces that perpetuate women subjugation in society.