Konkona Sen Sharma: We box women and men within certain roles

Konkona Sen Sharma, who is currently busy with whirlwind promotions of her upcoming 'Lipstick Under My Burkha', recently got candid about how easy it is for the society to categorise both women and men by the jobs they are expected to do. The 'Page 3' actress added that when a woman is restricted to being a homemaker, a false state of equilibrium is achieved.

Konkona explained, “It’s convenient that we box women and men within certain roles. Then, everyone will know what to do. We’re going to be like this, they are going to be like that. Everything’s fine and we are all safe. But there are so many issues that crop up in different places – like female infanticide or violence against women."

Calling the much-discussed sex scenes in the movie 'liberating', Konkona said that these scenes had a lot of semblance to how these intimate moments happen in real life.

Konkona asserted, “Sex scenes (in 'Lipstick Under My Burkha') are liberating because it’s frustrating to see that what’s shown onscreen is not really the lived reality. That when we see it onscreen we feel ‘arre, that’s what exactly it is’ – that’s what the feeling both men and women get when they see the film. Because we have somehow internalised this that – this is what we are allowed to do, not allowed to do. That we don’t even feel the need to ask each other.”

Since the trailer release, Ratna Pathak Shah's performance as a 55-year-old widow who explores her dreams and desires in the movie is much-discussed. Drawing a parallel with Rishi Kapoor’s character in 'Kapoor & Sons', the actress said, “It is easy to accept Rishi Kapoor’s character in 'Kapoor and Sons'. It’s considered funny… almost sweet. It’s so normal and acceptable. Many times when we see sex scenes in a mainstream film, they serve the purpose of gratification and titillation. But here, we are showing them to reveal something about the situation of these women or some kind of circumstances. Not from a male gaze, but from a woman’s perspective.”

Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' is slated to release on July 21.

CREDITS: PTI