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‘Queen’ and the Art of Being Quietly Confident
Kangana Ranaut’s slice-of-life Bollywood film empowered a whole generation of Indian women in more ways than one
I open my Instagram account and see a flurry of pictures of Indian women solo-tripping to gorgeous parts of the world.
Honestly, it fills my heart with happiness.
Because in other countries, especially Western ones, the culture of backpacking after high school or taking a gap year is common, but in India, only a few young men and women can do that (if ever). Because:
- Parents will constantly call to check on them, and
- Who will study medicine and engineering if young people go out to explore the world?
Women’s woes…
But of course, things are changing, especially for women in India. Slowly but surely, we are tasting freedom in our lives.
And one of the biggest catalysts for this cultural change in the country is Vikas Bahl’s ‘Queen’ (2013). The slice-of-life drama, which focusses on the life of a simpleton Rani (meaning: queen) from a suburban part of Delhi — a hub for middle class Indian families, called Rajouri — deploys basic storytelling techniques and effective punchlines to drive home complex points…
