Waaris : Feminine Voice Against Right to Property and Patriarchy

Abstract

This study aims to explore the representation of women's voices for property rights in a patriarchal society through the film Waaris, directed by Ravindra Peepat in 1988. Wars waged for Jar, Joru aur Zameen, i.e., Wealth, Wife, and Property or Estate, is a centuries-old phenomenon that transcends all natural, ethnic, and class boundaries. We see the same condition in the film Waaris, where a woman is not only ill-treated by her family members but also denied her legal rights to property. It spotlights the socially restrained condition of a woman and how the woman struggles to change her destiny by breaking the traditional marriage system as a weapon to voice against her property rights.   It is therefore challenging for women to create their individual space and identity in such adverse situations. The paper discusses the significant aspects of hegemonic masculinity, exceptional marriage in a civil society, and feminine voice against Right to Property in the light of Harmangrewal's (2015) review.  The paper examines the aspect of Patriarchy as a significant hindrance to the advancement and development of women.