Barbie is a fashion doll created by an American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy company Mattle. The brand Barbie Doll was launched in the market in 1959. Barbie brand includes a range of fashion dolls and accessories. It’s a common norm of gifting Barbie dolls to girls and boys. Barbie’s male counterpart is Ken. Barbie & Ken have been leading brands of fashion toy market for over six decades. Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company’s largest and most profitable line. The brand has expanded into a multimedia franchise since the late 1980s, including video games and computer animated films.

Parents buy Barbie dolls for their children because the benefits of doll-play encourage creativity and imagination, helps in developing social skills and communication skills, it enhances finer motor skills. Some parents have observed the doll-play has boosted their children’s confidence and the children become more expressive.

The doll has been portrayed with many careers; they are sold with sets of clothes and accessories that fit the career being portrayed. She is a doctor, an engineer, an architect, a teacher etc. According to Mattle, the doll has portrayed 200 careers so far. Barbie is a strong, independent woman who confronts societal expectations.

In 2023, Warner Bros. Pictures brought the movie ‘Barbie’ on screen, directed by Greta Gerwig, produced by Margot Robbie and her associates, on theme ‘Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and existence’. Margot Robbie plays the lead role of Barbie in the movie which depicts breaking stereotypes surrounding the character of Barbie. She is independent and does not need a man in her life. She provides a fresh and empowering narrative.

Greta Gerwig’s direction gives insights about female existence which resonate with majority women. Actress, America Ferrera’s interview about the gendered expectations placed on women and the value of play is a significant truth. A gender stereotype is a widely held belief or generalisation about the behaviours and characteristics attributed to women and men. Many viewers complain that the movie is anti-men; this is misunderstanding of what the movie is trying to say and reveals far more about the viewer’s own philosophy on life and expectations for cinema than it does about Barbie itself. 

Females are often portrayed as being emotional, caring and in need of protection. Males are often characterised as being rational, career driven and strong. But gender stereotypes are fading away in today’s world because the society has realised gender stereotyping is an obstacle to the achieving equality between men and women. Apart from the personal and social consequences, for both women and men, it also has negative repercussions on a countries’ economic development and competitiveness. Supressing the woman, trying to fit them in their role perceived by the society, inhibits their natural talents and interests from developing. A nation develops more when women are given their space to advance, innovate, administer, and lead. 

Why is Barbie an inspiration? She is hardworking, Barbie has fought her way into so many careers, she’s constantly on the go. After six decades she is still learning new things, making new friends, and generally archiving as much as possible. She is happy,

Sometime in past Barbie spoke “I love shopping” and “Math class is tough.” The latter phrase received criticism from several female advocates accusing Mattel of preserving gender stereotype. In present Barbie says, “Always leave things better than you found them.” “Anything is possible.” “Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.”

In the movie, the last scene captures Barbie (Margot Robbie) dressed in business casual attire as she is dropped off in front of an office building by Gloria (America Ferrera) for what seems to be a job interview. However, when Barbie reaches the reception area, she proudly declares, “I’m here to see my gynaecologist.” So, Barbie accepts her own body and soul, and is ready to experience other womanly desires.  

Last week I saw the movie Dr. Prakash baba Amte – The Real Hero starring Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni & Mohan Agashe in lead roles. The Marathi film is a biopic based on the life of Dr. Prakash Amte – son of Baba Amte. The movie shows stark realities of lives of advasis – the Madia tribe from Gadchiroli district. The movie shows Dr. Prakash Apte, his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte and his colleague’s limitless struggle with the naive Madia tribal, struggle with wild animals, struggle with Naxalites and corrupt government officials for bringing in the basic requirements for the existence of the tribal people. Many scenes in the movie are chilling. The Amtes (Prakash and Mandakini) are oblivious of their destination in life. They see the pathetic conditions of the advasis who live like animals. In fact, the tribal people don’t even know that they are human. Both husband and wife decide to make Hemalkasa their home, they live with the Madia tribe people serving them.

The movie shows journey of the husband and wife doctor couple. It portrays their understanding, their thinking, and their similar aims and objectives while supporting each other. Both have forgone money, status, careers etc living in the deep jungle amongst most pathetic conditions. The movie shows both Dr.Amtes and their colleagues accepting life as it comes; all of them devoted to shaping the lives of the tribal people. Dr. Prakash Amte has been shown doing gynecology and ophthalmology operations. Dr.Amte uses his knowledge and reading to help patients in dire need of medical help. While watching the movie one thinks today’s medical world is highly clichéd.  The medical specialization has created a situation of “too many cooks in the kitchen”. Today’s academic medical centers are full of specialty teams, which cover all facets of health care. The composition of these teams includes a wide array of practitioners, ranging from allied health professionals, to student doctors training to obtain their medical degree.

Today’s patients are finding themselves caught amongst experts with numerous opinions surrounding their various medical ailments. They listen to too many specialists for their ailments. What happens when these recommendations begin to conflict? When reality sets in, the patient does not know who to turn to or how to proceed forward. This movie has shown two methodical medical practitioners using their common sense and expertise. I really appreciated his fact while watching the movie.

Dr. Prakash Amte is the son of Magsaysay awardee and legendry Baba Amte, he and his wife, Dr. Mandakini Amte were awarded the Magsaysay Award for ‘Community Leadership’ in 2008 for their benevolent work in the form of the ‘Lok Biradari Prakalp’ amongst the Madia Gonds in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.

Nana Patekar has played Dr. Prakash Amte effortlessly. His dialogue delivery, voice modulation, facial expressions, eye movements, and body language every bit of his screen presence is awesome. His dialogue delivery in Marathi is as dynamic as in Hindi. The dialogues written by Adv. Samruddhi Porey are heart-touching and full of wisdom. The cinematographer Mahesh Anye has done an incredible job with lighting and breathtaking photography. Patekar has portrayed Dr. Praksh Amte with incisive emotions. There are innumerable scenes in the movie which will dampen your eyes. I think no other actor would fit the role of Prakash Amte on screen. And, beautiful Sonali Kulkarni has supported Nana Patekar with equal brilliance and intensity. Both Patekar and Sonali Kulkarni make a wonderful screen pair.

We all live our life cribbing for countless and unfulfilled needs and demands; we live a monotonous routine, and are never contended in our lives. And, there are people like Baba Amte and his sons Prakash and Vikas Amte who have worked towards making the world a better place to live. The father Baba Amte has literally fought all his life for fiving the leprosy patients a better life. And, his sons Vikas and Prakash have also dedicated their lives for social causes. They worked and lived to serve others, to make the world a little better; by doing so, all that they gained is a little peace of mind – little happiness. I think that has led them into self actualization.

The director of the movie, Sammruddhi Porey and the entire unit’s efforts need to be lauded for showing Dr. Prakash Amte’s compassionate mindset, stretching his limits with utmost reality to bring the small changes in the tribal land. The cast and crew of the movie have gone out of their way to depict reality. They have shot the movie with real tribal people and animals which is a dangerous and painstaking task. Apart from this, the dialogues are intelligently written, dialogue and description is where the experience of screenplay for the audience lives in;
the feel and consistency of the dialogues and placements of them are simply superb. Nana Patekar and Sonali Kulakrni have delivered them precisely. The screen play is very well edited and some scenes in the movie have rib-tickling humor which makes the movie more appealing. This is must watch movie for all.

• Produced By : Samruddhi Porey
• Directed By : Samruddhi Porey
• Star Cast : Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni,Mohan Aagashye, Ashish Chougule,Vikram Gaikwad, Bharat Ganeshpure, Tejashri Pradhan, Aniruddha Wankar,Vinayak Patwardhan,Kunal Gajbhare,Sushant Kakde,Sukumar Day, Prasad Dhakunkar, Naina Rani, Krishna Dharme,Vinod Raut
• Cinematographer :Mahesh Anye

If you haven’t seen ‘Teen Deviyan’ a 1965 movie starring Dev Anand, Nanda, Kalpana and Simi Grewal, you have missed one of the most entertaining and breezy movies of Bollywood.

In 2012, I decided to give my colleagues a luncheon party while watching an old movie, one of them brought the CD of this movie; we decided to watch it for its ample yet toe tapping songs by fast forwarding the story-line without hoping anything great. But let me tell you, we were in for a pleasant surprise. The 1965 movie is very rhythmic and spellbinding.

Devdutt Anand works in a musical instrument shop as a salesman, and is always late for work. This irritates his boss I.S.Johar to no end. The equation between Dev and Johar changes when Johar finds out that Dev is a talented poet. Johar tells him to write as much poetry he can and that he would get them published. Its simple business for Johar, as Dev becomes famous; Johar’s business will also grow.

While traveling to work in the state transport bus, Dev meets Nanda, who coincidentally lives in his neighborhood. Both are attracted to each other. Once while walking on the road, he assists Kalpana, the actress when her car breaks down. When she realizes that he’s a poet, she arranges a meeting with him. She becomes the second flame in Dev’s life.

Dev is instructed to deliver a piano in a palatial house of a socialite – Radharani (Simi Garewal), she too is attracted to the charm and poetic talent of Devdutt. She invites him for one of her socialite parties, both Dev and Simi get attracted to each other. Simi is the third flame in Dev’s life.  Devdutt cannot make up his mind, whom to marry. He explains each woman that he needs time to make up his mind while all three are more than eager to marry him.

The plot of the movie is absolutely modern and was much ahead of its times when it was made in 1965. All characters in the movie are contemporary and fresh. The movie is clean and engaging.  Dev Anand is not three timing or fooling his heroines. One is homely, one is an actress and one is a high society woman. The high society woman also promises Devdutt a brilliant career, yet, Dev does not go astray.

The final hypnotism scene is shot in colour, rest of the movie is black and white.  And that is the crux of the movie. You have to watch the movie till last to understand how Devdutt makes up his mind – whom to marry.

The movie was directed by Amarjeet, the story idea was of Sadhashiv Brahmam and dialogues were by Vrajendra Gaur; film’s music was given by S.D.Burman and its immortal songs were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Each song is superior piece. Starting from Aise to na dekho to Uff  kitani thandi hai ye rut. I mean it friends; each song of this movie is a master piece.

Cuddle up in your sofa, sit with some wafers or popcorns, and watch this movie with your cheerful friends and family. You will thoroughly enjoy three hours. It is a must see for any Hindi film buff, I will rate the movie 9.5 out of 10. There are hardly any dull moments in it.

Those days, in late 60s, Amin Sayani (the legendry Radio Jockey) used to tell the listeners to see the “tuduk” effect. It’s about a boy meetin g a girl but three times (each time a different girl) and giving his heart to the girl. The crisply made love story enlightens viewers with Dev Anand’s lover boy charm, for continuing the flicker with each lady that he meets. His ‘Bhutta’ date with Nanda or his simple car drive date with Kalpana in which she says “tum aam ho kar bhi khaas ho” or his flirty date with Simi in a sexily set sequence, she initiates him into drinking by taking a sip from his glass and declaring, “maine glass ko hoth lagaya hai, ab aapko aur bhi zyaada maza aayega.”

It’s sad that the movie was not received well in 1965. For freaky reasons or may be the audience was not matured enough then. But it’s a treat to all Dev Anand fans even today to watch it after fifty years. Watch it to enjoy it.