Women's role in films, media in focus at Gurgaon fest

GURGAON: The ubiquity of social media and the role of women in cinema were among the topics that came under the spotlight on day two of the 1st SBI Card Gurgaon International Film and Literature Festival (GIFLIF), being held at DLF Cyber Hub.
The evening session on 'art and gender' evoked much interest, for nothing brings Indians together more than movies and those who act in them.And someone like Shabana Azmi can always be relied upon to attract a crowd.
The world, maintained Azmi, is still "largely" informed by the male gaze. "Women are different. Not better, not worse, but different. And this difference should be reflected in any dialogue," she said.
Pallavi Joshi, another with plenty of experience in the industry, believed women should express themselves freely, and not look to compete with men.
While against 'item numbers', Azmi said sh e was no one to judge. "I don't want to be part of a morality brigade, and say you can't do this or you can't wear that. It's a balancing act, but actors should make an informed choice." 'Dil Dhadakne Do' actress Ridhima Sud admitted she's been lucky to have worked with directors who left the choice open to her. "Zoya (Akhtar) gave me the option to play the role as I saw fit. She left the choice to me."
"I want to take charge of how I'm depicted. But I don't mind doing item numbers - they give me visibility!" added Sud, whose latest work, 'Kajarya', deals with female foeticide. Equally riveting was the session on alternative media platforms, where, among other things, it was debated whether the din in digital space was a good or a bad thing.
"I love the guys who dislike me!" exclaimed screenwriter and director Sudhir Mishra. He believed those on social media should engage with critics and listen to criticism, but draw a line when it comes to responding to abuse and personal comments.
Rahul Roushan of Faking News felt that mainstream media would perish at the hands of social media, while Vivek Agnihotri (of 'Hate Story' notoriety) was only too willing to write its obituary.
But most of the panelists were willing to give social media the benefit of doubt. "Social media has done a great thing for Indian society, it has killed hypocrisy," said Agnihotri. But Roushan pointed out the flip side, as there is more chance of receiving destructive or negative feedback on social media than in the real world.
So, as the debate on intolerance rages, speakers at the GIFLIF demonstrated that differing viewpoints need not lead to slanging matches.