For lady-oriented themes that put fantasy above life, or rather present women as they truly are, the Censor Board needn’t look far. The feisty women in Lipstick Under My Burkha, who are not afraid to express their desire, are in great company, particularly when it comes to our women in mythology.
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In Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitrangada, a Manipuri warrior princess falls in love with Arjuna and secures his love after faking feminine graces. In the end, however, Mahabharata’s invincible warrior embraces her as an equal partner. There are other mythological references to spunky women, too, like Rati, the goddess of love, lust and passion, who is also Kamadeva’s consort. Then there was Radha, whose name is synonymous with Lord Krishna, their relationship defying cultural norms. In today’s times, these women’s stories would perhaps not pass the censor board’s scissors, especially Surpanakha, whose nose being cut off by Lakshmana in Ramayana, started the epic war.