'Patriarchy is still a harsh, deep-rooted reality in Cinema' - Churni Ganguly

Churni Ganguly, a well known Bengali actor and director, was also seen in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, playing Alia Bhatt's educated, polished and progressive mom. In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, she talks about about motherhood has changed on-screen over the years...
How has the portrayal of mothers changed over the years?
Patriarchy is still a harsh, deep-rooted reality. Now, through gradual awareness and sensitisation, mothers are being accepted as independent decision-makers with minds of their own. We see both effective and quirky iterations of that change in cinema. However, it is time we see more and more mothers as change-makers of the larger social fabric, rather than decision-makers restricted within the family. Across reel and real, that will only be possible once we create wider cracks in the patriarchal status quo.


Have mothers on screen grown stronger? Is that a good sign?
Mothers on screen are generally still very typical. Look at our advertisements, our films. However, here are plenty of exceptions, and I strongly feel that should be considered more often. My character in RRKPK goes bra shopping with her prospective son-in-law, and firmly challenges his discomfort. And why not? It’s a very strong statement.
Do you think earlier, mothers were shown as aggressive who had no voice of their own ?
In most cases, mothers were shown as merely emotional creatures catering to the patriarchal system at large, with no agency to make a difference. They were limited to the dynamics that their family provided.


What about single mothers? Has it seen a positive trend?
There is perhaps no “right way” to portray a single mother, as the circumstances in which a woman becomes a single mother is significant. Trauma, finances, health crises often leaves one broken. However, multiple movies have thankfully, shown single mothers as more than a bitter victim. After all, they are, or have had to be very strong women. They have risen above the shackles of tradition, and are setting solid examples for those who still remain vulnerable or scared.
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