Of Devis, Devdaasis and Daayins

The Image of Women in Postcolonial Indian Cinema

Abstract

This paper will attempt to analyse the different images of women in Indian (Hindi) cinema from a broadly feminist perspective - 'broadly feminist' as there is no real feminist cinema theory in India. Nor is there a Feminist cinema. There are a few stray women film makers but they do not necessarily make feminist or even women oriented films. So at the best what may be essayed is a feminist viewing method.