Intersectionality and Hindi cinema: A study on the representation of disability and bisexuality in the Hindi film ‘Margarita with a Straw’

Abstract

According to professor Kimberle Crenshaw, ‘All inequality is not created equal’. She coined the term ‘intersectionality’ in 1989. This term elaborates on the oppression of women in society based on class, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sometimes even on their political inclination. These individual characteristics overlap and intersect with each other. It can be the case where either one or all of them conjoin one another and create experiences of discrimination among women based on various systems of oppression. Crenshaw proposed that unjust behaviour based on intersectionality has an intense and personalised effect on the social structure of women. For instance, disability, which is marginalising, further narrows down the opportunities to be seen and heard by the female gender. Therefore, this paper attempts to study the representation of intersectionality through the social categorisations of disability and sexuality of women in Hindi cinema. Ahead of her time, director Shonali Bhose presented Margarita with a Straw in 2014, the story of a young woman with dreams, ambition, and a debilitating disease known as Cerebral Palsy. Laila, the protagonist here, accepts herself and the challenges life brings to her. She is on a quest to explore freedom and sexuality, defying the appropriation built around disability and genderqueer. The film also touches upon the supportive and special mother-daughter relationship throughout. To align with the narrative of the film, a qualitative approach using critical analysis and interview guidelines will be used as a tool to elicit empirical data. In conclusion, the study will open debates on the representation of the intersectionality of gender and identity in Hindi cinema and will open debates on the change in the representation among the masses.