Lipstick Under My Burkha Movie Review

Lipstick under my burkha is about secret lives of four ordinary women who dream of living extraordinary lives. The film opens with a background narration of erotic pulp fiction which is about a certain woman, Rosy. Then goes on and introduces us to the stories of the four female protagonists.

Lipstick Under My Burkha casts an honest, unsparing look at what it means to be a woman in small-town India. https://t.co/5DM2qLeyXX

News18 (@CNNnews18) July 22, 2017

Rihana, a soon to be married burkha clad girl, has a secret life wherein she listens to Miley Cyrus and Led Zeppelin behind closed doors and dances her heart out. It is ironic how she has to help her family sew burkhas that she simply finds loathsome to wear. Leela, a beautician, knows how to use sex as a weapon. She is skilled when it comes to making a man dance to her tune. Even though her marriage has been fixed, she remains her unperturbed self and hopes for an escape from the monotony a domestic life would soon bring. The third story is about Shireen, a mother of three, who is forced to satisfy her husband's libido even though she yearns for his affection. In a way, Shireen's husband degrades her dignity by taking over the ownership of her body just for satiating his lust. To escape the unfairness that life has bestowed upon her, Shireen moonlights as a saleswoman. Lastly, there is Usha played by Ratna Pathak Shah. Affectionately called Buaji, the 55 year old reads Hindi pulp fiction novels which she hides behind her usual religious books, takes swimming classes on the pretext of going to Satsang. Against the societal norm that a 55 year old woman should not have any sexual desires, buaji takes late night telephone calls and try to muffle her moans in the bathroom. It is through these clandestine activities that she feels alive and young at heart.

Go for @alankrita601 's Lipstick Under My Burkha @LipstickMovie, poignant film on our double lives. My @mid_day colhttps://t.co/Ob0FWKC1dq pic.twitter.com/SArQunyrpJ  Meenakshi Shedde (@MeenakshiShedde) July 30, 2017

The pulp fiction narrative makes the whole story seem less grave and adds a tinge of humour. Even though these women belong to different age groups, their problems are very much relatable. Director Alankrita Shrivastava's ladies rebel the society's prejudices silently by leading double lives. On some level, this helps them escape the tyrant societal norms and grants them a purpose in life. The cast's performance is persuasive and wins our hearts. The four different stories are perfectly interwoven and connected together at the Hawai Manzil where they all reside. Their fearless aspirations and their predicaments often make them confide in each other. The film presents four women of substance, who have it in them to resist and endure even the worst situations. The narrative culminates in a realistic and humorous way. The film ends with a bang as each character comes to terms with the severity of her actions.

"Don't call your film women-centric; producers won't like the sound of that." The challenges of #LadyOriented films: https://t.co/ZlnG7GWbHz

 Under My Burkha (@LipstickMovie) July 25, 2017

This women-oriented flick that digs at the social taboo that Women should not be asking for attention, sex, identity, individuality is perfectly worth your time. Society, as always, gives its verdict to these four as rebellious, characterless and vulgar women. My verdict is that Lipstick Under My Burkha is definitely worth watching as it essays the very stereotypes that have been a part of our society since time immemorial, but with different notes and tones. Watch Lipstick Under My Burkha to know what, when and how Rihana, Usha, Shireen and Leela revolt to live the glimpse of their dreams and freedom, secretly though.