Who says it’s not a man’s world?

Listen... Amaya 

Listen... Amaya is a 2013 Hindi drama film directed by Avinash Kumar Singh, starring Deepti Naval,  Farooque Shaikh and Swara Bhaskar as leads. 

Story by Geeta Singh.

On television, rarely do I catch a movie from the beginning, I always end up with dismembered parts, here a quarter, there a bit and sometimes just the end which always makes me want to see more, if of course the movie is good. But was I lucky, the movie had just begun, I was filled with joy, my favourite actors too, Deepti Naval and Farooque Shaikh and a new entrant Swara Bhaskar. I got comfortable, cosy chair with a deep cushion, a stool for my legs and of course a long cool drink……

Deepti Naval, a mother and a widow and her daughter Swara Bhaskar have carved a niche for themselves after the death of their father. They have a book-café, a very popular place, people drop in, browse, drink coffee, eat some snacks, go off as friends for life.  

Farooque Shaikh has been a loyal customer and friend for around three years, everyone knows that Deepti and Farooque nurture a deep affection for each other, sadly the daughter does not see it, or chooses to ignore all the signs. Swara collaborates with Farooque aka Jazz to produce a coffee table book about the ‘bazaars of Old Delhi’, she the writer he the photographer, the book goes down well with the editors and is slotted for publishing.

Just as everything is going on extremely well, Swara discovers that Deepti and Farooque are not just platonic friends but are having sex, an affair. All hell breaks loose, she shouts, she is extremely rude to everyone, she bangs doors, she refuses meals, every act that a petulant spoilt pampered teenager can muster.  Deepti and Farooque, both justify her actions, ‘she is shocked and thinks her father’s place is being invaded by a total stranger’ but her rudeness hardly abates, she seems to enjoy her new avatar. No matter how much Deepti tries to explain that she too like any woman needs some company and of course a healthy sexual relationship, Swara goes on and on in her role of an aggrieved martyr. Somewhere down the line, after talks with oh so many people, Swara realises her mother is human too, deserves a break, some love and of course sex in her life. So everything back to normal, Swara urges Jazz to buy her mother a really good ring.

One fine day, Swara finds Farooque at an traffic intersection totally confused, not knowing where to go, he speaks of things past, his daughter and we realise he has Alzheimer’s. During one of his lucid moments, Farooque slips a ring on Deepti’s finger and I sigh with disgust whatever is she supposed to do with a man who has Alzheimer’s?

Is author regressing back to those days when women were supposed to be self-sacrificing, devoting their entire lives to caring for their families?

But excuse me; isn't this her second marriage where she is supposed to enjoy her life after having taken care of her own family, she had looked forward to travelling, companionship and sex which made her feel complete. What a sad future, reading how to deal with Alzheimer’s, not to forget that our Alzheimer’s patient gets a free nurse to take care of him.  The author has cheated us women and as usual glorified women’s eternal self-sacrifice.

I finish my cool drink in utter disgust tinged with anger; we women are never allowed to win. Who says it’s not a man’s world?