These men enforce a hierarchy where women are categorized into binaries: the "good" woman (the mother, the virgin, the saint) and the "bad" woman (the sexual being, the rebel). The women in Lipstick Under My Burkha refuse to stay in these categories. Shirin is a mother who also wants to work; Buaji is a widow who also wants romance. By blurring these lines, the film deconstructs the Madonna-Whore complex that plagues Indian society.
Buaji (Usha Parmar) is the 55-year-old matriarch of the mansion. To the tenants and the locality, she is a "saintly" figure—a widow who has renounced worldly pleasures, dressed in stark white, dispensing wisdom and collecting rent. However, Buaji harbors a burning secret life. Through the trashy novel Lipstick Dreams , she rekindles a dormant sexuality. She engages in a phone romance with a swimming instructor, posing as a young woman named "Rosie." Buaji’s arc is the most radical because society denies aging women the right to desire altogether. She wears a burkha of widowhood, forced into asexuality by tradition. Her transformation—applying red lipstick in secret, wearing colorful lingerie under her white sari—is a defiance of the social script that renders older women invisible. under my burkha
"Under My Burkha" is a powerful documentary that sheds light on the lives of Afghan women under the Taliban regime. The film highlights the challenges faced by women, but also showcases their resilience and determination to survive. The documentary serves as a reminder of the importance of education, freedom, and equality for all women. These men enforce a hierarchy where women are
Visually, the film is a study in contrasts. The daytime scenes are bathed in the harsh, realistic light of Bhopal’s streets. The camera often feels claustrophobic, framed through doorways, windows, and grills, emphasizing the surveillance the women are under. The soundscape is filled with the noise of neighbors, traffic, and moral policing. By blurring these lines, the film deconstructs the
It is impossible to discuss Lipstick Under My Burkha without acknowledging the censorship battle that preceded its release. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) initially refused to certify the film, citing that it was "lady oriented" and contained "abusive words" and "audio pornography."