There's a scene in SS Rajamouli's Baahubali that didn’t seem
particularly thought-provoking at first glance, but has generated a lot
of conversation of late. Shiva (Prabhas) chances upon a mask and gazing
at its features, he imagines the mask fits the face of a beautiful
woman. The vision is compelling enough for him to make an arduous
journey up a waterfall and a mountain. When he finally finds his dream
girl in flesh and blood, she's a much plainer version. Reality bites,
even in the world of epic fantasies.
Let's look at Avanthika's
(Tamannaah Bhatia) version of these events. Part of a guerrilla outfit,
Avantika spends her days fighting, spying and (supposedly) ignoring
details like her wardrobe and hairstyle. When Avanthika first encounters
Shiva, she becomes aware that she isn’t just a warrior, but a woman who
finds an equal and opposite side to her self – one that can’t help but
be struck by the prettiness of the tattoo that Shiva painted on her hand
while she was asleep. Does he tattoo her to mark her as his own?
Perhaps. Is it his attempt at beautifying (and therefore, feminizing)
her with sringaar? Absolutely.
Avanthika’s
reaction – despite the prettiness of the tattoo – is anger. Her world
and her sense of self are being unsettled, and she resists the change.
But resistance doesn’t mean she wipes off the painted design. Neither is
she outraged enough by her lurking makeover-inclined admirer to cut
Shiva down to size when she finally meets him. Not just that, she lets
him strip her and apply eco-friendly make-up, which includes everything
from crushed berries to a dash of Shiva’s own blood. No pain, no gain,
to quote an old adage.
While Shiva is wreaking this transformation
upon Avanthika, her reactions are limited to parted lips and widened
eyes that suggest she’s furious. It’s this expression that’s led to a
debate about precisely what’s going on in this scene. Is this courtship
ritual a disguised rape scene?
A couple of weeks ago, titled 'The Rape of Avanthika', went viral. The writer anna
Vetticad and those subsequently discussing the article pointed out
there is no consent from Avanthika and therefore, she was raped by
Shiva. And there we were, lapping it up as romance.
The idea of
“rape-y” lovers isn’t new to popular Indian cinema, both in Bollywood
and its southern counterparts. But does this scene from Baahubali
deserve the rape tag? Is Avanthika served by this interpretation or
reduced by it? Because lest we forget, she is no damsel in distress.
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