About Kalpana Lajmi
- Kalpana Lajmi was a critically acclaimed filmmaker who focused on social issues concerning women.
- She was one of the earliest feminist filmmakers in Indian cinema.
- Her body of work covered issues ranging from patriarchy, sexuality and gender, domestic violence to transgender and prostitution.
Noted works
- Lajmi debuted in the film industry in 1977 as an assistant director under renowned film maker Shyam Benegal in the film “Bhumika: The Role”.
- Her earlier films were based on stories from books of feminist Bengali authors Maitreyi Devi and Mahashweta Devi.
- Her first feature film was Ek Pal (1986), based on a short story by Maitreyi Devi with strong female characters.
- She is best remembered for Rudaali (1993), her second film, based on the work of Mahashweta Devi.
- Rudaali was primarily based on a group of women in Rajasthan who are better known as professional weepers or mourners.
- Rudaali explored issue of gender and patriarchy in the broader context of class and caste divides.
- Works on Gender and Sexuality
- Darmiyaan in 1997 was the first film that focused on issue of transgender through the construction of eunuch named ‘Immi’.
- Daman(2001) focused on the issue of domestic abuse and marital rape.
- In Chingari(2006), Lajmi explored the subject of prostitution and power play of the priestly class. It was based on Hazarika’s novel “The Prostitute and the Postman”.
- Lajmi also authored a biography ‘Bhupen Hazarika: As I Knew Him’.
Section : Miscellaneous
