Gender Renegotiations: Female Identity in Satyajit Ray’s Cinematic Representations

Md Harun Ar Rashid¹ , KM Arefin²

1. Dept. of English, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2. Dept. of English, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Section:Research Paper, Product Type: Journal-Paper
Vol.10 , Issue.6 , pp.1-6, Jun-2024

Online published on Jun 30, 2024

Copyright © Md Harun Ar Rashid, KM Arefin . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 

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Abstract :
Employing feminist film theory, this paper undertakes a critical inquiry into Satyajit Ray’s acclaimed cinema, examining his pioneering representation of female protagonists in seminal films like Devi (1960), Mahanagar (1963), Charulata (1964) and Ghare Baire (1984). The analysis reveals how Ray depicted Indian women negotiating tensions between tradition and modernity during a transformative post-independence period. Ray’s films capture women challenging domestic gender roles and expressing new aspirations while facing social constraints on their empowerment. Close textual analysis of his films, mise-en-scene, and characterization techniques demonstrate Ray’s nuanced representation of female subjectivity and agency. The study situates Ray as a pioneering filmmaker problematizing patriarchal hegemony and advancing progressive cinematic portrayals of women in India. Ultimately, Ray’s sensitive authorial voice afforded empathy and interiority to women’s experiences, enabling more empowering imaginations of gender roles amidst modernity.

Key-Words / Index Term :
Satyajit Ray, Indian Cinema, Modernity, Tradition, Female Representation, Gender Roles, Women Empowerment

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