Kiranmayi M, Radha D R
Patriarchy has undoubtedly
scarred every possible aspect of human existence with its malicious claws; to
the extent that even the speculated narrative around the dubious world of
ghosts and spirits is loaded with gender bias and sexism. In most of the popular
narrative, (books, TV shows, movies, etc.); ghosts, spirits, witches, and other
such spooky manifestations are mostly women; and the ones most
affected/possessed are also women more often than men. This sort of narrative
is not new; it can be traced back to the (in)famous witch trials of the medieval
world and the equally (in)famous ‘Madwoman in the Attic’ archetype popular in
Victorian Literature. The same attitude can be observed in the Kannada film
Apthamitra (2004), wherein the soul of a mistreated court dancer (Nagavalli)
seeking revenge from a king, takes possession of the body-mind of a
well-educated cheerful young woman (Ganga).
The story is weaved in such a manner that the dancer
(Nagavalli) is villainized and shown as evil for seeking revenge, while her
persecutor (the king) is victimized. Also, the dancer’s lover, who was murdered
along with her, is not shown seeking or turning into a ghost. The typical
dichotomy of ‘the good, virtuous woman’ versus ‘the mad ranging monster’ can be
observed in the behavior of Ganga, before and after she gets possessed. The
cause of her getting possessed is attributed to her lonely childhood and the mental
illness (split-personality) she developed as a result. Men are the ultimate
saviors here - be they a revered priest, a renowned physiatrist, a loving
husband or even a mere acquaintance. On the other hand, all the women of the
house are subject to scrutiny and doubted to be under the influence of the evil
spirit. Thus, the movie stands as an example of the sexist narrative around the
paranormal world - which perpetuates irrational prejudices about women, such as
their apparent emotional vulnerability, mental weakness, psychological
volatility, lack of rationality, etc. - all of which are used as justifications
for such biased portrayals.
gender, ghost, witch, hysteria,
possession, split personality
VOL.14, ISSUE No.1, March 2022