As the philosopher Stanley Cavell remarks, in The World Viewed, “the sheer power of film is unlike the powers of the other arts.” Within films, symbols have the immense potential to shape the basis upon which a film can be laid. Like most films are open to interpretation, the symbols within them aren’t bound by any defined meanings either; symbols are determined by how it fits within the film’s context. The primary symbol of this film can be found within its title. “Pinjar” essentially means “skeleton” in Punjabi, and it’s interesting to observe how the film incorporates this symbol to depict how a rural woman’s body was perceived at the time this film was shot. As mentioned earlier, symbols have multiple interpretations, so “Pinjar” can also be viewed as a “cage” derived from the Hindi word “Pinjara,” since it fits the context, that being the depiction of a woman’s body. I choose to particularly focus on the Punjabi translation because this film is based on the Punjabi novel by Indian novelist Amrita Pritam and since this film itself is mostly set in Punjab.
Puro, the protagonist of the film, represents the rural women during the partition of India. Her helplessness in her situation is nothing but her being a pinjar, a skeleton, limited to no thought and no movement. The kidnapping of women from the opposite community was a prevailing situation with the Hindus and Muslims during the partition. Regardless of one’s religion, a woman’s body was considered a mere vehicle to satisfy the men’s needs and desires and was given the same regard as one would give a skeleton. The women had no safety, and the men were either helpless or actually the perpetrators. Puro was made to change her name to Hamida after marrying her Muslim kidnapper, but until the end of the film, she doesn’t seem to identify with either of these names and the lives that they indicate. Until her revelation at the final few minutes, she is simply a skeleton- no name and no agency over her own body. This is reinforced when she has to shuffle between being a woman and an object as she gets pregnant with her husband, Rashid’s child. While Rashid and his family are elated, we see Puro, now Hamida, without any feelings or emotions, just like a skeleton. She wastes away, becoming a skeleton who exists but has ceased to live. As we get further into the film, Hamida, for the first time, comes into direct contact with another “skeleton”, a mentally unstable woman who gets raped and impregnated. She later passes away during labour and gives birth to a child who is taken in by Hamida. This aspect of the film depicts Hamida breaking free from the shackles of the symbol, “Pinjar” and inevitably, those of the religion bound and gender-biased society. It indicates the beginning of her journey of service and sacrifice in saving girls who are in a situation similar to hers; who would otherwise be forced into unwanted marriages and enslaved for their whole life, cast aside by their families and society.
Although “Pinjar” is a story woven during India’s partition, it addresses a lot of issues that continue to persist in present India. It discusses women’s struggles along with the setting of the partition to approach it from an interesting perspective, albeit having the same central symbol, how every woman’s body is a pinjar regardless of their religion.
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