Indian women a mix of submission and dominance: ‘Missing Ladies’ Oscars criticised
The Film Federation of India, in an official document about the Missing Ladies entry for the Oscars, described Indian women as “a strange mix of subordination and dominance”. This mention did not go down well with many.
The Film Federation of India (FFI) had earlier submitted Missing Ladies as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Now, a document mentioning them is going viral for the wrong reasons. In the document, the federation has defined Indian women as people who are “a strange mix of obedience and dominance”. In fact, this is mentioned as the first sentence in the document, which explains why Missing Ladies is the best contender in the category at the Academy.
Several social media users underlined the problem with that definition. Many even pointed out that the federation’s selection committee had 13 members and all of them were men. “Indian women mix subordination and dominance: Missing Ladies Oscar citation criticised,” wrote one user, while another said, “Probably ChatGPT wrote the jury citation for Missing Ladies.”
This quote is so offensive it’s funny. — Rahul Desai (@ReelReptile) September 23, 2024
The rest of the description of Missing Ladies in the same document is as follows: “With well-defined, powerful characters in the same world, Missing Ladies (Hindi) reflects this diversity perfectly, although in a semi-idyllic world and in a humorous way. It shows you that women can happily aspire to be housewives, as well as be rebellious and entrepreneurial. A story that can be seen simultaneously as a need for change, and a story that can bring about change.”
The film Missing Ladies, released in March this year, is about two rural brides who have different dreams and are inadvertently swapped at a railway station. This incident leads to a funny and emotional adventure not just for the two of them, but for everyone around them.
In an official statement given to India Today.in, the film’s producer Aamir Khan called it the happiest news. He said, “We are all very happy with this news. I am proud of Kiran and her entire team. I would like to thank the selection committee of the Film Federation of India, which chose our film to represent India at the Oscars.”
Directed by Kiran Rao and written by Sneha Desai, Missing Ladies is considered a true feminist film. It is currently streaming on Netflix. The film has become the top contender for entry by beating 28 other films in the list.