Sakshi lies on her bed, masturbating. At some point, her husband walks in with a bouquet of flowers in hand. She continues... till she climaxes.
The theatre screen does not shatter. It stays put with a temerity and stillness that stifles the awkward peals of laughter and soft gasps.
Swara Bhasker’s masturbation scene in ‘Veere Di Wedding’ shall go down in history.
Not only does it yank the Indian woman on-screen out of her assigned shell, but also testifies before three generations of female cinegoers:
She came.
And she had a grand time, while at it.
While “Hindustan” was busy wishing things away.
While “Hindustan” was busy denying a woman her sexual agency.
If our grandmothers could survive this scene, begrudgingly so, I am convinced they will pull through much more.
Let’s give them more credit than their current opinions.
They’ll come around.
Change doesn’t come overnight.