A few decades back a woman with a voice was unheard of and frowned upon. Today it is uncommon to find a woman without a voice of her own. The roots of patriarchy are deep yet they are slowly fading away. We are striving towards a future filled with equality. But the real question is how okay are we with being equal when the situation is not so convenient for us? Being a feminist or a person who believes in gender equality only when it is an advantage to them, can that be called being a true feminist? Delivery Girl tries to bring it to our attention.
Delivery Girl- A Glimpse
Directed by Sreejoni Nag, Delivery Girl narrates an unexpected encounter that ends up being an eye-opener for an entire generation. The story starts off with an argument between a couple wherein the wife who has a stable job is enraged by her husband’s decision to just leave his job to follow his dream. Normal right? If you thought so, now you know why you need to watch the short film.
Fast forward, and we meet the delivery girl who brings into focus the double-edged sword of patriarchy that hurts both genders, male and female alike. Agreed that edge on the female’s end is sharper than the one on the male’s but that still doesn’t make the experience any better. The film tried to bring out the true essence of feminism which is equal opportunities and stance for men and women. So, if a man decides to quit his job and become a house husband while relying on his wife and following his dreams, why is the idea still so appalling?
Does Delivery Girl Deliver?
Given that many would probably find the initial 3 mins quarrel in the film normal, just goes to show how the gender-norm bending Bollywood movie Ki & Ka has begun to lose its charm. Being a true feminist doesn’t just imply you should get a good education and a job, it means you’re truly independent and can support others as well. And yes, “the others” does include your spouse. Since feminism is not a one-way street, it does include some contributions to the household chores from your said spouse’s end as well.
Delivery Girl beautifully brings out how truly deep the roots of patriarchy are embedded in us that we fail to see how it hurts everyone in the process be it a man or a woman. How normalised it has become to look over an entire gender’s suffering and just go with the flow whenever it’s convenient to do so. How easy it has become to call out patriarchy when it is explicitly expressed but not so easy to detect its smell when it’s been brewing right under your nose all along. The film raises a question for us as a modern society, “how are we still modern if we are still tying down one entire gender with certain roles and responsibilities that they didn’t even wish to take up in the first place?”
Afterword
Delivery Girl brings to light the fact that higher education doesn’t always lead to a more enlightened way of living. Especially if patriarchy has seeped into the said education through some unnoticeable cracks. It sheds light on how sometimes it’s women themselves who ensure that the roots of patriarchy don’t get entirely cut off. Though the plot becomes very predictable very soon, the message that it leaves one with stays with you long after the credits have rolled.
