Mumbai: ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha,’ has been creating waves across social and mainstream media, not only because of its tryst with the censor board but also because of the fact that the film has travelled across the globe and gained immense appreciation and accolades.
The producer of the film, Prakash Jha got in touch with Ekta Kapoor to come watch the film because he knew it's something that would resonate with her sensibilities.
"Ekta is someone who has always done some path breaking work and with a lot of her women characters, she's inverted the power structure on television, making the woman protagonist the epicentre of power. She's a strong and dynamic studio head. In that sense she has a strong feminist pulse and I was very keen to know what she felt. And as soon as she finished watching it, she told me she and her studio wanted to present it to a much wider audience. I thought it would be fantastic for the film.”
The TV czarina, who is now on board as presenter and pan-India distributor of the film said, "I entered the screening knowing i was going to watch a well appreciated film, but not only was I totally blown away by the content, I felt it was both credible and entertaining. Rarely do we have credible entertainers that stimulate the mind and are peppered with spunk and humour. Lipstick Under My Burkha signifies a rebellion of the mind and is a film that celebrates women and their sexuality. I believe that this is story that needs to be told and wanted to put all the muscle behind a film like this."
After the CBFC refused to clarify the film the makers appellate to the film certification tribunan (FCAT) which guarenteed it theatrical release rights with some cuts and the A certification, mostly related to the sex scenes, at their own discreation, but unavailability of a buyer compelled them to keep the film on hold.
Once Ekta saw the film she knew it catered to a much wider audience and deserved to reach out to them.
Balaji thus decided to come on board and present the film, since we believe that this is a story that needs to be told and we wanted to put our muscle behind a film like this.
Balaji is proud to present a socially relevant yet commercially entertaining film, after it released ‘Love, Sex Aur Dhokha’ which was bold, edgy, ahead of its times and created ripples amongst audiences across India.
So 7 years after LSD, Balaji firmly backs and presents ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ on 28th July - a spunky, quirky yet provoking, credible entertainer.
Featuring Konkana Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Brothakur, the film follows four small town Indian women between the ages of 18-55 - A Burkha clad college girl, a young beautician, a mother of three and an aging widow - who decided to assert their personal and sexual rights.
‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ is a new age commercial entertainer directed by Alankrita Shrivastava. It could be touted as small town India's 'sex and the city' based on four women living out their secret lives hidden from the prying eyes of society. Four feisty women chase their secret dreams of love, sex, rebellion and freedom. These are naughty women, with a passion and zest for life, despite the claustrophobia of their lives.
While the censor board refused to certify the film because it is 'lady oriented,' and contains 'audio pornography', the audiences are ready to watch and celebrate women who have sexual desires and fantasies, but are forced to veil it to fit into societal norms. Nothing helps invert this warped sense of women and their sexuality more than a film that explores female desire through humour, quirkiness and edginess in equal measure.
