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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Struggles of rural women captured on celluloid by Priya M Menon

Struggles of rural women captured on celluloid by Priya M Menon

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published Published on Sep 28, 2010   modified Modified on Sep 28, 2010


A strong protagonist who overcomes all odds, a village scoundrel who takes advantage of the ignorance and naivete of the people around him, family drama Usha Rajeswari's new directorial venture has all this and more. But Shakti Pirakkudhu' (A New Strength Is Born) is not your regular Tamil feature film. The protagonist is a middle-aged woman with two kids, and the odds she surmounts are the difficulties faced by women in rural Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil film, produced by Madura Micro Finance Ltd (MMFL), was initially conceived as a means to help the women's self-help groups they support. "MMFL provides microfinance to about 4,00,000 rural women, along with business education and market opportunities," says Usha Rajeswari, who has written and directed the film. "While they provide loans, many women don't know how to handle finances or market their products. So MMFL wanted an educational film to help them."

Turning the movie, which was screened in Bangalore on September 27, into a feature film, was Usha's idea. "I have been doing documentary films for years, working with rural women," she says. "I thought it would be better to make a feature film about them, which would to inspire them to take positive steps," adds Usha, who runs Prakriti JIVA Pvt Ltd, a media company.

The story of Sundari, played by Devadarshini, is one any rural woman would identify with. Sundari, who has two children and a wastrel of a husband, is desperate to earn a livelihood. With the loan she gets from an SHG, she starts her own business making cloth tie-bags. To succeed, she has to take on the local shopkeeper and go to the city to do market research. And deal with a domineering mother-in-law and husband.

"These women find it difficult to strategise and break into a market dominated by men. We hope the film will inspire women to think for themselves," says Usha. For when their efforts succeed, it makes an impact on society. "When men are given money, they squander it on alcohol. But women spend most of it on their families."

The film struck a chord with rural audiences even before shooting got over. "We shot it in a village situated in Kancheepuram," says Usha. "The people there face similar problems." The village, like the one in the film, has no bus service. Since people have to walk 3km to a bus stop, they have no access to markets.

While there are plans for a more mainstream release and a roadshow in Tamil Nadu, the film has already been screened in villages around Madurai, Tiruchi, Salem and Chidambaram. "The response, especially from men, was amazing. They were very moved by it and realised the struggle their wives go through," says Usha.


The Times of India, 28 September, 2010, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Struggles-of-rural-women-captured-on-celluloid/articleshow/6639653.cms


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