Something’s funny here, but it’s not the chauvinism—despite the routine dirty jokes made throughout, ‘Parched’ director Leena Yadav gives insight into rural Indian society by creating a dark satire of the gender divide still present in those communities. With a primary focus on four women caught in that divide, each struggling to overcome their personal boundaries with the opposite sex.
What makes these lead characters inside of ‘Parched’ so unique? It may be that the women on screen are given the opportunity to unapologetically share their perspective on sex, men, and the unfair obligations placed on them by tradition. An ever-growing important social theme for India in the past decade, ‘Parched’ carries the torch high, reaching out past the somewhat modernized cities into the heart of rural Indian communities.
Yadav’s inspiration for the project came to her through collaboration with Tannishtha Chatterjee, who plays Rani, one of the leading ladies in the film. Ideas started popping up when Yadav and Chatterjee, on different film sets in rural India, noticed the modernization of the communities therein. Up to this point, both of them had been unsatisfied with the representation of women in India’s film industry. Using their experiences as kindling, the two fuse together both ideas to create a story that faithfully updates and informs on the image of a modern Indian woman.
A new experience to behold and a joyful one at that, Parched celebrates the independent woman stepping out from the shadow of their villages to rewrite their cultural tradition for the better. Directed skillfully by Leena Yadav, and given breath by leading actresses Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte, Sayani Gupta, and Surveen Chawla. Give yourself a window into this fascinating turning point in a culture and check out ‘Parched’, now on DVD and On Demand.