A Glimpse into History: Film exhibition began is Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) at the end of 1890s. Before 1950s was the era of silent film production. After the partition of India the general pace of film blew here, the first film made in East Pakistan was a newsreel about the visit of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, produced in 1948 by the radio broadcaster Nazir Ahmed. The first full-length feature film with sound made in East Pakistan was Mukh O Mukhosh, produced by Abdul Jabbar Khan and released on August 3, 1956. Editing, printing and all other film processing for this movie was done in Lahore, Pakistan. On April 3, 1957 the then government estblished Development Corporation (EPFDC) in Dhaka, after the independent it was named FDC (Film Development Corporation). The first film generate from here was Asiya (The Life of a Village Girl, 1960), directed by Fateh Lohani. Although the nature of Bangladeshi Film was commercial, a handful of them gain international recognition. (Wikipedia and Prof Zakir Raju, Assistant Prof. at the School of Communication in Independent University, Dhaka)
Women Roles in Film, a Flashback: From the very beginning of film history, women characterization process had passed a zigzag way. During the Second World War man went to war to serve their country and they leave their job, which created a big gap in industrial section. Prior to this women were bound to stay home and do their house course. To fill up the big gap women took over traditionally male dominated jobs including machines. When the war-ended women were pushed out of jobs in order to make room for returning man. Women were encouraged to return home and leave their job. It was culturally supported in mass communication like movie, radio and the new TV. However, for the first time women had the test of being self-sufficient. In 1960s and 1970s, women were questioned status quo of male authority and they involved with popular Women Liberation Movement that fought for the equality in education, job opportunity and pay, right to birth control and change the perception of female sexual behavior. This feminism movement led to various feminism in films, which were directed by female.
Women Portrayal in "Dhakai" Film: Dhakai Film always eager to copy film from India and Western world but without the lack of proper resources and good director FDC makes film with the different storyline in one play. So when they make commercial film they ignore the quality of film and views women as action heroine to sex kitten which totally debase our culture. For searching how women portrays in Dhakai Film I have go through five film named "Khuda, Mollah Barir Bow, Praner Shami, Stri Keno Sotru and Daku Fulon." These films deal women with positive character to negative stereotypes. Rather than positive character, these films are more delight to view women’s negative character. The contemporary film of FDC shows images and structure of women through the storytelling or cinematography system. These are discussed below.
· Negative imagery of women – women are vulnerable in hostile situation and they have to stay home for security. They have to obey their husband without the obedience family could not be a happy place. Women are always happy to cook and they can grab their farther-in-law, mother-in-law and husband’s heart by cooking delicious dishes.
· Negative function of women character – villain or anti heroines are displayed too much negatively that there character not only reveal through there acting but also there make up and the cinematographically system.
· Negative stereotypes – madonnas, whores, vamps, scatter-brain, bimbos, gold digger, schoolma’ams, nags, sex kittens which infantilized women or demonize them or turned them into rampant sex objects.
· Rather than focus on the “image” of women, focused voyeurism, fetishism and narcissism in the construction of a masculinist view of women. The contemporary FDC’s film always shows women as a sexual object specifically in a rape scene. That reveals the total sensational sequences by showing the victim’s half-naked body.
Different Roles Played by Women in Cinema: In these, five films women played significant characters that are sometimes debase our culture and sometime bold a specific character.
· Mother or Sister in law: These characters are very honest, modest and jolly. They are willing to suffer and face any difficulties for there husband or child. They are happy at the starting of there marriage life but the sufferings comes when another female role stands bold on the scene.
· Anti Heroine: She wants the hero’s love or villain uses her to take over the asset of hero. This kind of character is too much sexy and she wants to expose herself infront of the hero. At the last moment, she can understand everything and she sacrifice her life for the sake of true love.
· Female Joker: She is the most irrelevant character of Dhakai Film. She is a supporting character for the male joker. She may be the maid or friend of heroine. She always supports and acts as messenger of heroine’s true love.
· Action Heroine or Action Female: These kinds of characters are either a Law enforcer or Outlaw. They always devoted to there job or profession and they are honest. They love their fiancé too much but apart from the love, they stand on the mountain of law. Sometimes there family or beloved life suffers for there profession but they are too much confident and honest that they gain everything what they want. These characters are the most controversial part of Dhakai Film. Because in our culture and country there is no example of any women being stand alone against the male society(villain).
· Sister: It might be the heroine’s or hero’s sister. She is social, energetic and love her brother or sister too much. She has a heterosexual relation but her brother accept it. Sometime villain become fetish to see her and wants her to enjoy and these lead to a rape scene of Dhaka Film.
· Victimized Women: This character acts for only rape scene. They introduce on screen only for the pleasure of villain or sadist person. Sometime they act as a whore and may be murdered by someone for make a trap or in crossfire.
Finally I wants to say that Dhaka Film show women as a naked object. Women ware short dress that not only debase out culture but also make us scopophilistic. Rather than showing their mother hood FDC focused on there oedipal complex and exhibitionism.