Interrogating Masculinity through the Child Figure in Bombay Cinema

Abstract

Patriarchy is most often understood in relation to the position of women in society. I propose to interrogate patriarchy in relation to children – particularly the male child – as depicted in two major works of Bombay Cinema. The number and scope of critical engagements with the onscreen portrayal of the child figure are restricted, and in the light of this lack I interrogate the portrayal of the male child figure, with particular emphasis on the constructs of masculinity that always implicate the child. The paper will undertake a detailed analysis of these masculine constructs, which are significantly shaped and interrogated in the areas of family and educational institutions for the male child (See Kakar 1981, and Haywood and Mac an Ghaill, 2003). For case studies, I analyze two highly acclaimed contemporary movies of Bombay Cinema: "Taare Zameen Par" (by Aamir Khan, 2007) and "Udaan" (by Vikramditya Motwane, 2010). Both movies critique the many notions associated with manhood and masculinity by situating their arguments within the contexts of family and educational institutions. What makes these critiques even more significant is the resistance offered by the child figure to conventional masculine authority through the agency of imagination. With such agency, not only does the male child debunk the traditionally sanctioned interests and attitudes of men, but also brings about a reconfiguration of those behavioral co-ordinates that have till now dominated the domains of family and education. Using ideas from sociological, film, gender and psychoanalytical theories, I highlight the role of children in subverting the traditionally oppressive ideas associated with Indian masculinity.