Sexual Personae: By Madhuri Dixit
She's the ultimate female diva. A regal empress holding court in a male bastion. Treated more like royalty, Madhuri Dixit is the one actress who can boast of reducing the male-domination movement in the industry to a mere whimper. Her command over the medium and even over most of her male co-stars is undeniable.
It has in fact elevated her to an icon status, further epitomised by besotted painter-cum-self-confessed 'Madhuri fan', M F Hussain. Ms Dixit again shares the honour of being the 'other most respected heroine' (the first being Sridevi), quote unquote Salman Khan, who otherwise dismisses off other actresses as bimbettes with no brains.
It was time to tap those 'certified' grey cells, for a personalised account of the feminine psyche.
Penned by the 'chosen one' (sorry Rekha) herself.
"I am proud to be female. But I'm not vain about feminity, because vanity means exclusivity. You're vain when you lock yourself away in an ivorty tower and start thinking that you are the be-all and end-all of the world. That means excluding all else, but that is not possible. On the other hand, you can be proud with posivity."
"Ulimately, you cannot exclude everyone and everything only to enhance your feminity - even beauty needs a mirror to reflect it and man is that mirror. So I may be proud to be female but I'm even more proud to be human. Imagine if there was no one to appreciate and praise me. There would be no poetry, no art and there be no magazine like 'Stardust' to put me on the cover."
"Genders are opposties, but not really different. Like positive and negative - both make electricity, just the flow has to be even, otherwise the fuse will blow. I do agree that male and female are flipsides of the same coin, in spite of being really apart. That 'difference' is drilled into us from the time we are born and it stays with us till we die. Physically man is stronger than woman, but only because he has mor muscles-just proves how much smarter women are since we made him work in the fields while we sat at home. That's why women are emotionally stronger. Anyone who can keep a kicking bundle of life inside her for nine months has to be."
"Every species and gender has its weakness-both have their weak moments and both have their strenghts. I think today's woman is equal to man in every way. In fact, in ancient times all societies started out as matriarchal societies-the women were worshipped. It was Manu (Manu Smriti) who said that all women should be locked up and given no freedom. That's when the problem started-when men didn't want women to be stronger and in control."
"Man chalked out his sphere as the hunter/provider and the woman had her own domestic sphere, so I guess the 'war of sexes' began when man turned his attention towards wanting to control the domestic sphere as well, while the woman started making in-roads into male bastions. Any revolution begins from oppression-take the French revolution, the Quit India movement etc. It is only when the female started feeling oppressed that she started to revolt-'Quit Machoism'.
"The very Pin the word 'MCP' ensures that no woman stands for them. I am not for 'pigs' of any type, but I don't mind an old-fashioned, conservative man who opens car doors and treats me like the lady I am. As for the 90s having sensitized the animal called man-that's only on the surface. The beast in the man shall remain for ever, tht's why movies like 'Beauty and the Beast' will always be hits."
"Actually, to be fair to the 90s man, he ahs transcended into a more understanding and broad-minded person who will not hesitate to make a cup of tea for his sick wife. I can't even imagine people of my parent's age doing that. Even if my mother is ill she won't ask my dad to make her a cup of tea. She, in fact, will make him one. Today, couples don't think like that. They are more equal. There is no resentment and ego involved in sharing domestic reponsibilites any longer."
"I don't think there is anything like 'Female Feminist Piglet'-that is just something created by Male Chauvinist Pigs, so that they could feel that they are on familiar territory. Actually I'm not for feminism of any kind=any views on feminism or sexuality are entirely individual opinions, it doesn't need a revolution."
"Women having sex for love's sake and men using love for sex is true to a certain extent because women are made for loving and home-making, while a man is subconsiously driven by the need to recreate his genes for future generations."
"It's also true that within every man there is a little bit of a woman, maybe becuase he takes birth from one. It gives him that sensitive edge-likewise, within every woman there is a little bit of a man to give her strength in adversity."
"I don't like men trying to play macho with me, mainly because I think the sex appeal of every man lies between his ears. I get along with a man whomakes me comfortable and makes me laugh, a friend whom I can confide. It is that type of personlity that is most creative in man and woman because from sensitivity comes creativity. When a man or woman is being overtly agressive, it is just to cover up their own insecurities. It's a statement that says, 'Keep away, I'm vulnerable.'
"The enviorment at home, influence of parents and friends and ofcourse the genes to a major extent are the factors which shape us into the final personality that we are."
"I would like to think of my won sexual persona as alluring yet mysterious--touch-me-not, yet hot."
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