The father-daughter relationship in Monsoon Wedding represents the changes in attitude concerning gender. Like other Asian countries, India is plagued with the “son’s syndrome” (Gprasad, R, Vidya, K.I., and Sriramya, V.). The birth of a son is celebrated, because sons will carry on the legacies of the family’s name. On the other hand, daughters are burdens to their family due to their social and economic cost. Therefore, parents often hope for a son who will add wealth and fame to the family’s name instead of a daughter who will take money away from the family once she takes another man’s surname. Aditi’s dad, Latit, on the other hand, organizes an expensive wedding that he cannot afford for Aditi. He struggles financially and even resorts
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After decades of globalization and modernization, the Indian diaspora has westernized their attitudes concerning gender roles while still retaining some distinctive Indian customs. Certain aspects of Indian culture are still visible in fusion films such as the theme of arranged marriage in Monsoon Wedding. Back in the days, an actress’ career is often short, because once she gets married and has kids, her acting opportunities will be limited to older, mature roles. Women now are slowly released from their chains of traditional roles and they are thus allowed more freedom and flexibility (Mehta, R and Rajeshwar, B). In the early days of Indian cinema, physical contact such as kissing and sex were major taboos. Even the breadwinner of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, until this day refuses to film any kiss scene. The omission of such scenes are unique to true Bollywood films. As Indians migrate to other regions, this attitude is slowly disintegrating. In Monsoon Wedding, Aditi has an affair with a married man and they are caught kissing passionately in an intimate position by the police. Aditi’s cousins, Rahul and Ayesha, are also shown to be sexually attracted to each other. In Bollywood, women are not encouraged to wear revealing or erotic clothes thus the tolerance of previously prohibited taboos reflects how fusion films are moving away from traditional Bollywood to
After decades of globalization and modernization, the Indian diaspora has westernized their attitudes concerning gender roles while still retaining some distinctive Indian customs. Certain aspects of Indian culture are still visible in fusion films such as the theme of arranged marriage in Monsoon Wedding. Back in the days, an actress’ career is often short, because once she gets married and has kids, her acting opportunities will be limited to older, mature roles. Women now are slowly released from their chains of traditional roles and they are thus allowed more freedom and flexibility (Mehta, R and Rajeshwar, B). In the early days of Indian cinema, physical contact such as kissing and sex were major taboos. Even the breadwinner of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, until this day refuses to film any kiss scene. The omission of such scenes are unique to true Bollywood films. As Indians migrate to other regions, this attitude is slowly disintegrating. In Monsoon Wedding, Aditi has an affair with a married man and they are caught kissing passionately in an intimate position by the police. Aditi’s cousins, Rahul and Ayesha, are also shown to be sexually attracted to each other. In Bollywood, women are not encouraged to wear revealing or erotic clothes thus the tolerance of previously prohibited taboos reflects how fusion films are moving away from traditional Bollywood to