“Lipstick Under My Burkha” has been subject to censorship in India, but the feminist film is being received warmly at festivals in the U.S. In fact, the Alankrita Shrivastava-directed movie will open the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and the New York Indian Film Festival.
According to a press release, “Lipstick” will make its U.S. premiere at the Indian Film Fest of LA (IFFLA) on April 5. Shrivastava will be in attendance alongside directors, producers, and actors from the fest’s other films as well as IFFLA President Christina Marouda.
IFFLA “is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora,” the release explains.
“Lipstick” will follow-up its U.S. premiere by kicking off the New York Indian Film Fest on April 30, Variety writes. “44 docs, features, and shorts will unspool at the fest in not only Hindi and English but also Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati languages.” The fest is organized by the Indo-American Arts Council and features films from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Other notable screenings include centerpiece film “An Insignificant Man,” co-directed by Khushboo Ranka, Deepa Mehta’s “Anatomy of Violence,” and Konkona Sen Sharma’s “A Death in the Gunj.”
“Lipstick Under My Burkha,” is an “ambitious narrative set in Bhopal,” the film’s synopsis reads. “Rehana is the titular burkha wearer who sings at open mics in defiance of her father’s warnings; Shirin is a superstar saleswoman, but must keep this triumph a secret from her faithless husband; Leela is trying to juggle a Muslim lover, a Hindu fiancé, and her dream career as a bridal consultant; and Auntie Usha secretly reads racy novels and lusts after her swimming instructor. Two of the women are Hindu, two are Muslim, but all their stories come together when they attempt to challenge the sexual and social norms of Indian patriarchy.”
About a month ago news broke that India’s Censor Board of Film Certification decided “Lipstick Under My Burkha” is not “clean and healthy entertainment” and deemed the film unsuitable for theatrical release. The Board cited the movie’s “sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography,” and “sensitive touch about one particular section of society” in its verdict.
Shrivastava — who also wrote the film with an assist from Suhani Kanwar and dialogue from Gazal Dhaliwal — told us that the film’s “feminist pulse” is what offended the Board.
“The film explores the lives of women in a way that has perhaps not been done before in India,” she observed. “And confronting those stories and that perspective has somehow rattled them. The Censor Board, it seems, is more comfortable dealing with popular mainstream cinema. Cinema that is more often than not created through a male gaze, where women are objectified and play very peripheral roles. But more than anything the Board is not used to dealing with films where women want to have agency over their own bodies and their own desires.”
For tickets and more information about the festivals, visit the IFFLA or Indo-American Arts Council websites.
