UPBEAT MUSIC Captions by Kate Parkinson. Edited by Jessica Boell. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016 UPBEAT MUSIC CONTINUES # La, la-la, la, la, la, la, # la-la, la, la, la-la. # La, la-la, la, la-la. # RHYTHMIC INDIAN MUSIC The primary role of the women in Indian society is to be a mother and a wife. And even here, in NZ, I see parents want their daughters to get an education, but they also expect her to be married by her mid-20s. Too many women feel that they don't have a choice, and this really disappoints me, because I believe that every woman has the right to make her own decisions. And sometimes that means going her own way. My name is Simran, and I'm a first generation Indian-Kiwi. This year, I want to do something different, so I'll be making a feminist Bollywood film. So, start right from the top, with your hands up, and twirl around. Yep, that looks beautiful. Through this film, I really want to address the pressures that society puts on young Indian women. I see myself as a feminist, and that's about providing equal opportunities for women, whether that's in their career, in their relationships or at their homes. I'm 20 years of age, and I'm a business student at University of Auckland, and I couldn't imagine getting married in a couple of years' time. Five, six, seven, eight! Right. Left. In. Out. I'm really passionate about Indian dance, and that is why I teach at a Bollywood school in Auckland. Gotta fan your hands in and out. And one, two, three. That's really good. We have students ranging from ages 2 to 50 years old. Every year, we work on a project, and this year, we're gonna take my idea and turn it into film. My other dance teachers also agree that making a film on a strong female protagonist will set an empowering example for my students. So, we actually need to start off with the first scene. > Like, do you guys have any ideas what we could do? Maybe she's making a decision between leaving her husband, leaving married life, and pursuing her studies and her dream to come to NZ and get an education. We can show it in a way where she was nev` like, she never really wanted to get married in the first place. < Cos that's what happens in India ` people are forced to marry, and they can't really pick what they wanna do themselves. Their family members make the decision for them. Exactly. And, like, we were kind of thinking about we show where she just takes off her wedding ring and just gives it back to her husband, showing that, like, she wants to be independent, and that's more important to her than being tied to some norms. Taking the ring off and going ahead. Mm. The whole scene where she's standing up for herself, and she chooses to walk out of a life that has been settled already for her. < Yeah. Yep, I think that's the right place to start off. > URBAN MUSIC Like many young Indian women, I still live with my family. Although they're very progressive, they still expect me to respect my culture. Indian culture's all about family. But in my film, the woman is leaving her family. We're gonna have, like, this first twist, at the start of the story, is that she's actually married. Mm-hm. And, the first scene would be, actually, breaking it off, you know. (CLEARS THROAT) Yeah, breaking a marriage... is something I don't think so people will be able to take it so easily. Yeah, you have marriage` > There will be questions from the community coming up ` why leave the family? Why leave the husband? Would it be OK if we showed that she wasn't happy being married? Because we wanna show a very strong woman. It would be a good idea to get other people or other family's perspective, you know? Yeah, that's` Yeah, that's a good idea. Because sometimes in life, when we are in trouble, we have to take the suggestion for the other people. So it would be much easier for you to come to a conclusion as well, you know. How you would already know before starting that` what would the` how would the society react? You know? Um, what questions you asked...? > I am a bit nervous about what the community will say, and I don't want them to say that we're teaching our students the wrong thing about our culture. I want to be a change-maker and empower women, but at the same time, I wanna respect Indian cultural values, and that's probably going to be my biggest challenge. URBAN MUSIC The best people to ask are those the issue directly affects, so I've pulled together a young women's focus group. Is everyone here married? I'm married. < You're married? Yep. (CHUCKLES) < And how old are you? Um, I'm 24 this year, so I'm only 23 right now. < Wow. Like, I'm 28. I'm still looking for the guy. I have no parental pressure, but, yes, I have pressure from the society, big time. How do you think women are portrayed in Bollywood films? You know, they're always shown, like, in the kitchen or cooking, cleaning, looking after the family. It's interesting, while in my process of finding a guy for arranged marriage here, even living in NZ for 15 years, how people are so tied to their traditions. So what are your views on divorce? I think Indian society or culture are very very conservative about divorce. They treat the person differently, like, outcast. If you're committed to someone, you are committed to someone for the rest of the life. Especially in this modern world, like, you know, we don't have much patience; we don't try and sort things out. But the easiest way we find is, 'OK, let's separate.' I think I totally agree with her. You know, like, you have to` You can't just break off a marriage, just like that. You have to, like, give it another chance and try and, like, work things out. My Kiwi friends, you know, they wouldn't think that much. If things don't work out, that's it. So that is, I think, our culture's quite conservative, and I think in our culture divorces are just not OK. No doubt, divorce is a big no-no in our culture. I feel like in order to avoid divorce, one must date that person long enough to, you know, get to know him or her really well. And that's not something usual in our culture. Mum had an arranged marriage. I don't know if she's going to support my views on dating and marriage. Hi, Mum! Hi, sweetheart. What were your expectations as a girl in India? As my parents wished for me, I got married at the age of 23 with your dad. It was arranged marriage, and I'm happy. So do you have the same expectations for me as well? Not at all. (CHUCKLES) > (MOUTHS) Not at the same age, but definitely not too late as well, dear. What do you mean by too late? Too late ` maybe, you know, between 25 and 27, I would say. Oh, OK. Once you're finished your studies and established your career, then, definitely, I would want you to get married and settle and` What`? What if I actually don't meet someone? Look for someone. Yes. Put your profile on a marriage website or something. (CHUCKLES) So it's more like an arranged marriage, then, in a way. No. If I don't find anyone... You know, you have to come to a decision, then. < And what if I feel like I don't wanna go ahead with it? Then, of course, it's your life. < And` I'm not going to force you to say, you know, 'Now, you're going to get married to this boy.' Not at all. So I can date him for, like, a year, and then if I feel like he's not the right one, you'll be OK? (CHUCKLES) < Do you think I would have wasted that one whole year? Mm, yeah. You think I would have wasted it? I would think that. But now I'm asking you, what do you want out of your life? Do you have any plans similar to me? No. I just wanna focus on my career at the moment. Yeah? I'm too busy for anyone else at the moment, so... Yeah. If I say that I'll be completely fine would be a wrong answer, dear. You know me. Yeah. My roots are in India, yes, so in our Indian culture, parents have expectation from the children, no matter how grown-up they are. I love my mum, but I'm growing up in a different culture. As a young generation of Kiwi-Indians are growing up, I see that across the young students that come to my school, and they're wanting more options, and things are going to have to start to change. And it really feels like the right time to make this film. Bell rings. Walk` Running up to the door, and then she's, like, reading through. So when it's showing that she's reading through, I think, you know, darting eyes. She's... Choreography is in full swing on the short film, but we're still figuring out how we're going to convey our feminist message through movement. For me, it's so important to get this film out there and reach to my community and just make sure that a lot of people are viewing this film. So I'm going to get some advice from an ex-Bollywood line producer ` Dharmesh. Hi, Dharmesh. Simran. (CHUCKLES) How are you? I'm good. How are you? Good to see you after a long time. I know. So, I've actually got Dharmesh to come in today because, you know, we're making a Bollywood film, and we definitely need your guidance in how to go about doing it. Oh, well, you know, it's entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. That's` You know, Bollywood is all about entertainment. And what do you think about it being a Bollywood feminist film? Well, (CHUCKLES) wow. So, like you, you know, mentioned` You got me there. (CHUCKLES) Within the Indian culture, you know, you've gotta get married when you're 24 or 25 and be, like, a family-oriented woman, forget about the career. You've studied, but, you know, what's the point? Because you're just gonna get married. You're gonna be, like, a reproductive vessel, child-bearer, have kids,... (CHUCKLES) Wow! ...take care of them. That's` You know, that's` I think it's like that fundamental thing that's always just been there. A lot of people have moved away from that idea, but some way or the other, it's embedded in society, and, you know, in our thinking, so I wanna challenge that, you know. I mean, I love it that you guys are being so edgy and, you know, just so out there. It's awesome, you know. That's new, fresh. That's` That's something that I'd like to go and see, definitely. So, I mean, here there's an opportunity for us to, you know, really get that, um, talk of the town going. 'Hey, look, you know, that movie came out. Did you watch that? Oh, really?' You've gotta make it a little bit fun, a little bit attractive. Without that, I think it's sort of` you know, you don't really make the point across. Is it, like, controversial, though? Well, some orthodox people that might say, 'Oh, no. Naughty, naughty, Simran. No, no, no, no, no.' GIRLS LAUGH 'This is not masala tea. No.' (LAUGHS) Fingers crossed! (LAUGHS) But, um, you know, I think that we are living in the 21st century. It's about time. So I think just let's make this an event and invite people. A screening event is gonna give me a great platform for my message. However, if I'm gonna tell a feminist story, I'm going to need some strong, powerful, contemporary moves incorporated into my Bollywood repertoire. So I'm gonna go head over to meet my friend, Leshego, who's a professional hip-hop dancer, and she's gonna help my lead, Natasha, put some guts into her choreography. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. In, up, zoom, cah! Wide-leg stance. Arms to the side. Arms super sassy. Arms super powerful. What are you gonna do about it? One, two, snap, bang, bang. This is a feminist film, and right at the end, we're trying to show that does she wanna stay here? Does she want to be that confident and independent woman? Or does she wanna go back? So she's battling between the two. The feel we're going for is quite conflicted. A lot of, sort of, aggression almost, which is something we struggle with, cos that's not something we really have in our style of dancing too much. < Rage. Yep. Five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four. That's really cool. I can see the, sort of, conflict that you're trying to portray. One thing that I do notice is when you turn your head away, that does show, like, vulnerability. So if you're gonna turn your head away, make it a moment. And tension. What is this hand doing? If you add a little bit more tension into the hand, and that's definitely gonna make that stop a little bit more, like, defined. Reach and snap. Snap. One, two. Having strong and aggressive, powerful moves isn't` isn't necessarily a negative thing. But it's actually a positive thing, especially if it's coming from women. I think it's something that should be celebrated. Yeah. This dance form, this aggression is showing exactly what we wanna portray. The hip-hop choreography is shaping up, and we have a big shoot day next week. But we're still debating how the story will end. Now, the last scene is where we're stuck. I don't want to show her going back to her husband at all. Cos in a way, indirectly, that shows, you know, she's relying on her husband to be happy. You know, it's all about stepping out of that traditional role for women. Being bold, taking, you know, that step to finding yourself and being happy. We just have to be careful that we're not, you know, making too much of a bold statement in that leaving a marriage is good. I'm just worried that it may affect, you know, our, kind of, reputation in the community as well. Mm. They want a happy ending. Cos if we challenge everything at one go, it'll be really difficult for them to accept our movie. Yep, OK. < Yeah. That's a valid point. And I think it's interesting, like, traditionally, I know in my family, uh, the wives have followed the husbands, where they needed to go. So maybe we could consider whether he would follow her. Her. > That's not bad. I guess we can think about it. But, you know,... what message`? What message are we sending out there, then? I think what we're facing here is we have three distinct choices ` either ambiguous ending ` we don't tell the audience what she decides, but we show them she is at peace with her decision. Mm-hm. Secondly, she doesn't see her husband again,... Mm. ...or he follows her to NZ to be with her and to support her decisions. This has thrown up some major concerns. Do I really need to soften up? But I do see that there is a lot on the line here ` our dance school, our very own reputation, and how this is going to reflect on our families. I've got very limited time to decide, and shooting starts next week. UPBEAT BHANGRA MUSIC And down, down, up, up, middle, middle, down, down! Smile! One, two, three, pull. There's a lot to figure out. There's so many young people to supervise and so many things to coordinate. I still haven't figured out my ending, but hopefully, Dharmesh, the Bollywood expert, will be coming in, and he can provide some guidance. But I'm really nervous! I've actually been up since 4 in the morning. (CHUCKLES) Oh, you're kidding. Really? Yup. Just to make sure we've got everything. I'm really keen to see the ending, eh. It's been, like, a month or something now? Yep, so, not too sure where I'm going, but the ideas that came across were that perhaps we can get the husband to move over to NZ, which shows that he's supporting her. So, like, a, you know, cliche happy ending,... Oh, OK. > ...where she's still pursuing her dreams, she's still studying, and the husband comes along. Happily ever after. Do I wanna impress those conservative and traditional people by saying, 'Oh, yeah, she's back with her husband,' or do I wanna bring that change? You know, this is a time where we need to bring that issue forward. Go` Go with your feeling` with your gut feeling, cos, you know, if you really believe in it, others will believe in it. I mean, I'm Indian. I also know the significance of our strong history, you know, the boundaries that we operate in. Yeah. But I think, um, on this issue, you've got a very very good, um, uh, point to bring across, which others have been slightly shy of, you know. You know, what others think of you is none of your business. Just get out there and do what you have to do. Just go up to that one there. And to the next one. Yeah? Yep. I think that looks good. I've set out with a clear goal to make a film that will push boundaries. But there's no point in making a story if I can't push boundaries with a controversial ending. The husband will arrive in NZ to get his wife back, but she will turn him down and go her own way. So it's going to be really interesting to see how the community's gonna react to this. Yep, pull, pull, pull. I felt it was a little slow. Like, make it like, you know, you're trying to pull her towards yourself. Pull, pull, pull. > That's better. That's much better. You walk out fast, look at the ring, throw it, and you've gotta storm out. DRAMATIC PERCUSSIVE MUSIC PLAYS Where'd you go? What are you doing here? I'm here to take you back. DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING I'm sorry. I can't come back with you. DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING UPBEAT MUSIC That's a wrap! ALL CHEER ELECTRONICA MUSIC ELECTRONICA MUSIC CONTINUES Finally, the day has arrived, and we're setting up for screening. I'm so happy, cos all the students have worked so hard, but I am actually very nervous at the moment. We will be having a Q & A session, where I really really want the community to talk. I want them to, you know, put out their opinions, whether it's good or bad, and I'm ready to stand up and fight for what I believe in. Um, ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the screening of Kaaya. APPLAUSE DRAMATIC PERCUSSIVE MUSIC PLAYS Hi. (SPEAKS HINDI) 'RAGHUPATI RAGHAVA RAJA RAM' PLAYS I'm sorry. I can't come back with you. APPLAUSE, CHEERING So, yeah, does anyone have any questions? I just think` as parents, I think it's really, really, really important to encourage, and encourage the girls and the kids to go and do what they want and keeping in the line of our heritage, so, thank you. APPLAUSE I actually just wanna congratulate you on this film. Thank you. I saw myself in the film, cos 10 years ago, I was the first Indian girl to graduate with a bachelor's degree in contemporary dance. So I hope there's more Simrans out there. APPLAUSE Hi, Simran. You know, we always like to portray the bad side of India. Is it because that's what sells in the Western world? What about all the good things that we have in India? I do agree that there are definitely good things. We're not putting any Indian tradition down or any cultural thing down. All we're doing is picking one thing out and bringing that awareness here. So, in future, are you going to show the other side of India? I think you missed the point in that we're not showing that Indians are negative. Both of us are incredibly proud to be Indian. We haven't shown her husband to be a bad guy. Men are dominant. They're idolised. They're celebrated, and women are seen as subordinate and submissive. We could have shown that more explicitly. But we haven't. So I think, in a way, we have shown it in a positive light. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely, and I` you know, I do respect that, because everyone's different, and that's` I wanna hear this, you know. I wanna hear the opposing viewpoints about this. And thank you for putting it out there. So, yeah, um, thank you so much, everyone, for coming today, and I really hope you enjoyed the screening. Thank you so much. APPLAUSE INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS Oh my God, it was so, like, dramatic. The discussion got pretty heated up and, you know, just kept going back and forth, um, which I think was good. It was really good for our screening. It um, was definitely informative. But oh my God. (CHUCKLES) I think, after seeing this film, a lot of the people are going to be talking about how women are treated in Indian society, and I think they'll realise that, some way or the other, it starts from the older generation. That mindset is still there. I think it's up to us as young women to stand up and say that we have the right to make our own choices. Captions by Kate Parkinson. Edited by Jessica Boell. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016 Supporting local content so you can see more of NZ On Air.