It’s International Women’s Day today. While everyone can’t stop talking about women empowerment, gender equality, filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan has a different take on women’s day. The woman filmmaker has lived her life on her own terms and conditions and defied the societal norms. On this special day, she has something even more special to convey to her daughters Diva and Anya. She writes an emotional letter to her daughter, telling them what it is like to be a woman in today’s world is. She also warned them about the hardships they might face once they grow up.
Here’s how her letter goes.
My loves, Diva and Anya
I am hoping and praying that by the time you go out into the world to make your own lives, it will be a New, Modern World! A world that will not care about which nationality, which race and most importantly, which gender you belong to — it will only care about your merits, your hard work and your talent. A world, where women will be celebrated everyday, and not just on the 8th of March as a token!
But until then, I can only lead by example (you are too young for sermons anyway). I hope you can realise that both your parents treat your brother and you equally — no special privileges are given to the ‘Son’! In fact, he sometimes gets the brunt of being the only boy (being sent to Ballet class with you — both wasn’t much fun for him).
And Anya, I know you keep an account of how many play dates and sleepovers he goes to and demand an equal number. A trait I pretend I find so annoying, but secretly, I am so proud that you are not afraid to demand your share. I wish I can assure you that every boy you meet will be as feminist as your brother and father, but that may not be the case. And I am hoping that you will well know that changing yourself to fit into the society’s idea of how a woman should be will never make any woman happy — least of all.
The two of you, who see gender equality on a daily basis in your home, I am hoping you will be true to yourself then, too. I also know that we are a household of true feminists — it’s never to be believed that it means ‘Hating men’ — never.
It’s truly believing in gender equality (that’s why Czar also ties you a Rakhi and you have to protect him too) and reversing roles to know whether what’s fair for the man is equally fair to the woman — something we conveniently forget when we do it vice-versa. I hope that just like your mother, you never play the ‘WOMAN CARD’ — it’s not a secret trump up your sleeve to be used when the game is not going your way.
And, at all times, I want you to be free, free to live the life you want, to wear what you feel, to fall in love with who you choose, to choose the career you want, not getting married till you are ready even if it’s at 40, like your mother, and to be fearless women because it’s not always going to be a man’s world, you know. Hell, if I had believed that, I would not be where I am today — writing this letter to my two best friends — my queens — yes, always queens and never princesses, because queens rule! And above all, we don’t need a WOMAN’S DAY to celebrate us. We will celebrate ourselves everyday!
Love always,
Mumma
Ace designer Masaba Gupta commented on the post giving her node. She wrote, “Thank god you said it, Farah.”
