The World Before Her is a rare film that offers a glimpse of India in the midst of a cultural crisis: should the country continue to westernize itself as its bustling cities have been doing, or should it remain steadfast to its fundamental Hindu beliefs, as many of its small villages hold on to? This big question is the basis of the film, and explored through the stories of two major female characters. On one hand is Ruhi Singh, a small-town girl who is vying for the crown of Miss India, a competition that is the epitome of western influence on India to many. Ruhi thinks like a "modern" Indian woman who wants to pursue a career outside the home. On the other hand is Prachi Trevidi, a woman working in a Hindu Fundamentalist camp for girls. This camp represents the right wing Vishwa Hindu Parishdad, otherwise known as the "Hindu Taliban". Like Ruhi, Prachi wants to be independent, but the stringent beliefs of her father make it hard for her to do so. Although the stories of these two women represent two very different Indias, the common struggles they share of being a woman in a patriarchal society, a society where boys are preferred over girls, is a common theme throughout. The audience for this film would probably be foreigners, because although it is about India, it deals with an issue that Indians are probably familiar with but Westerners most likely are not.
The most powerful strategy that Pahuja uses throughout this film is juxtaposition. The filmmaker compares "Old India" with "New India" by interweaving the stories of two girls that represent each. Ruhi and Prachi may believe in different ideals, but both girls speak frankly about feeling lucky to be alive in a culture where girl babies are sometimes even killed at birth. The stark contrast between the glamour and almost vapidness of the Miss India contest and the militant, cult-like environment of the girl's camp is very powerful in showing how divided India is. It is clear from this juxtaposition of the ideals of the "old India" and those of the "new India" that both are also flawed in their own ways. For example, the girl's camp teaches the participants to hate Muslims and Christians, while a scene in the Miss India contest has the girls walking with their faces covered just so the judges can judge their legs. Ultimately, juxtaposition effectively shows the two sides to India and each of their problems, raising the question of how this nation can possible reconcile these two opposite ideals.
Besides employing juxtaposition, Pahuja also uses anecdotes from real people to add humanity to the film. The entire film is really based on two women; their lives, their familes, and their dreams. This from the beginning adds a very personal element to the film, because Pahuja is not just introducing the two India's, but rather two people who are actually living through this cultural revolution of sorts. From Ruhi we can feel the determination and aspirations of a young woman trying to create an identity for herself in a country where women are still limited. Ruhi believes that winning the crown will give her a way to be able to prove that she is worth something as an individual. Prachi is also searching for a sense of self-worth, but she does so by teaching what she believes in, which is Hindu fundamentalism. And although the audience may not believe in what each of the women believe in, it is hard not to feel compassion for them and at least try to understand why they believe in the things they do. These two women add faces to the cultural crisis that India is currently facing, and their presence and struggle to find their place in each of their societal systems makes this story personal and powerful.
I believe that the filmmaker did achieve her purpose of letting her audience see the current cultural dilemma that India and also other developing countries across the globe is facing. The Old World and the New World are set on a collision course, and for many, the questions becomes, "which one should we follow?" Nisha Pahuja is also the director of Diamond Road and Bollywood Bound.
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