Aditi Sharif:

    

 

A few months ago, I had the privilege to watch the web series ‘Indu Bala Bhaater Hotel’. In shorts, I was mesmerized by the amazing storyline. However, some particular scenes in this web series made me feel numb. I can remember that I felt a different kind of heartache when I got to see the reaction of Indu Bala after hearing the news of Lachmi’s death. I experienced the same ache when Sonchari shared her agony with Indu Bala.       

Basically, the story revolves around the life of Indu Bala, an elderly, self-dependent entrepreneur, who came to Calcutta from East Bengal after her marriage. Unfortunately, his life partner and mother-in-law were never empathetic towards her. Moreover, his disruptive lifestyle and torture made her life unbearable. However, her real struggle started when her spouse died. This was the time when she had the chance to embrace her true self. During her whole journey, she met a lot of people but I particularly found her relationship with the other two female characters (Lachmi Bai and Sonchari) compelling. When I saw the series, I wondered why Indu Bala shared precious bonds with the two of them despite having complete backgrounds. Let’s explore the reason in a different light.

Like conventional feminists, We can argue that the shared sense of oppression due to their gender identities eventually created a sense of solidarity among them (Davis, 2020). Though this interpretation is not sufficient, we can’t rule out the possibility of this. It is widely acknowledged that people’s social background and gender identity can shape people’s perception of the world and other people. That’s why, Lachmi can do anything to save her Maaji. However, for me, a shared aspiration for ‘Home’ is also a significant contributor to their special relationships. Sometimes, its urge is more apparent than their gendered experiences.

I came to know about the significance of the concept of ‘Home’ when I had an opportunity to complete a course related to Migration during my post-graduation. At that time, I learned that Home constitutes one of the important characteristics of Diasporic identities because it holds belongingness (Cohen, 2008 ). 

We can’t consider Indubala as a diaspora because she didn’t live in Calcutta for generations. Rather she migrated there after her marriage where she was constantly bullied for her ‘Bangal’ language and cultural components. I can still recall her spouse’s tantrum about her language and how deeply it affected her. She didn’t even get the permission to go to the East Bengal and see her family.  Nevertheless, ‘Home’ was alive in her sweet and sour memories of life. Being unable to go there physically, she decided to illustrate her passion for her homeland and its heritages through her delicious cooking. We can find some amazing and shocking stories behind her traditional but mouth-watering recipes. As mentioned in the series, I also felt that the memories behind these actually made them special.   

In her quest to search for her own identity, she didn’t find anyone with whom she could share her stories unless she met Lachmi. Lachmi, herself, came to Calcutta from another province of India. Regardless of the differences in backgrounds, they cherished sharing memories that eventually created a special bond between them. Similarly, despite having generation gaps, Indubala and Sonchari had a comforting relationship due to the urge to find a home.

However, while writing this piece, a question arose in my mind: do a significant number of women have the privilege to own a ‘Home’? Being a woman, I know that the answer is mostly negative. Back in 1929, Virginia Woolf (1929) pleaded to provide a room for women where she t could write fiction (Woolf, 1929). Let alone room, a large number of women in this world are still struggling to build a home. Possibly, this is the reason why when the sex worker (with whom her husband had a physical relationship) came to eat in Indubala’s hotel, Indubala didn’t oust her from that place as they both identify themselves as either associated with her in-law’s house or dissociated with everything!

References

Cohen, R. (2008 ). Global Diaspora: An Introduction. Abingdon: Routledge.

Davis, J. (2020, March 13 ). Kunstkritikk. Retrieved from A Question of Solidarity and Sisterhood: https://kunstkritikk.com/a-question-of-solidarity-and-sisterhood 

Woolf, V. (1929). A Room of One’s Own. London: Hogarth House. 

 

About the writer:

Aditi Sharif is an Anthropologist, currently working as a Young Professional in a2i (Aspire to Innovate).  She is also a volunteer writer for Women Chapter English.