A 360 degree glance around the lives of women, and we understand that their lives, directly or indirectly, are controlled by men. Why, because even her own house is not safe, husbands more often than not are abusers. And outside the house, on the streets, it’s the whistles, lip smacking, eve teasing, chasing, etc. Basically a fight in a non-consented battle. The innumerable male gazes follow them everywhere. An earning working woman is still a taboo. And if she has children, then it’s a whole other dimension of taunts and shaming by the society. All these clusters of women’s life, and especially the inherent nature of eve teasing by men on the streets is captured by Anurag Kashyap’s short film, “That Day After Everyday”.
Anurag Kashyap puts on the screens a realistic representation of women’s everyday life out on the streets. Unfortunately, every woman can relate to the movie. In India, it isn’t uncommon for women to be catcalled by men on the streets, their piercing gazes sexualising their bodies and threatening eyes trying to instill terror within them.
Synopsis
The movie features the dexterous actors Radhika Apte, Arannya Kaur and Geetanjali Thapa, playing the role of three working women, along with also taking up the role of a housewife. The movie opens in a household setting, and we’re introduced to Radhika Apte’s character. She’s drenched in sweat and hurry, making tea and completing other kitchen chores. Meanwhile, in the background, her husband keeps reading harassment and rape cases from the newspaper, asking her wife to quit and stay at home for her own safety.
In another setting, we see the character of Arannya Kaur. She is being scolded by her mother to drop her job because of the growing rape cases against women. The character of Arannya Kaur is interesting because she has a son, and she’s asked to prioritise taking care of him instead of going out to work. Lastly, we’re introduced to the character of Geetanjali Thapa, another working woman. The three of them travel to their workplaces together and come back together.
The movie then takes us further on their journey, outside their household, to the streets, public transportation, and office place. Every surrounding man, some or the other way, tries to harass or catcall them. Later, we find out that after work, the women take self-defense classes in the hope of ensuring their safety against men.
The Realities
For the first few minutes of the movie, one can hear continuous and overlapped voices narrating various acts of violence against women. It gives an accurate picture of the claustrophobic and fearful life women live most of the time, especially when she’s moving out, or is alone out at night. The movie also gives a glimpse of an everyday life of women of household drudgery and monotony. In between the film, there are scenes of men video graphing the three women. This part of the film is very weighty. It depicts how women are always viewed as a prey in the eyes of the males.
That Day After Everyday closes on a cheerful note. The three women seize their liberty from the hands of oppressors. The ending is almost like the opening up of the vault of their pent-up rage as we see the women beating and fighting off the male harassers. Anurag Kashyap, at the ending of the film, tries to subvert the norm. We see the husband of the character of Radhika Apte making tea for her. However, the ending can still be scrutinized and called into question for the odds of its probability. Even taking defense classes to beat men is a burden women have to take because of men. Not all women can take defense classes, and not all women can have the privilege of liberating themselves. Eve Teasing by numerous other men would still continue.
