I often find myself reaching back into the recesses of memory in an attempt to extrapolate/imagine and accurately describe the times in which Anandi lived. I think about women’s clothes and their adornments, the traditions and rituals that provided rhythm to their lives, and the community and relationships that sustained (and sometimes constrained) them. The mechanics of everyday life also interest me — aspects such as architecture and furnishings, modes of transportation, cooking and mealtimes.
The short film “Chaitra” does a fine job of satisfying my curiosity by portraying incidents in the life of a middle class Maharashtrian family. Based on the furnishings in the home and the characters’ attire, my guess is that the film is set in the early-mid 1900s.
The film touches on the importance of women’s jewelry (as their “stree dhan” — rainy day capital/insurance), “halad kunku” as an opportunity for women to socialize and the symbolism to fertility in the tradition of “otee”.
In one of her letters, Anandi wrote of the horrors of widowhood. Even though the devastation associated with the death of the husband does not happen in Chaitra, a brief scene near the end illustrates the socially dictated changes in the widow’s very appearance.
On a brighter note, Chaitra also shows the setup of a ceremonial meal, complete with rangoli and “paat” (the low sitting platform). This scene reminded me of the time Anandi hosted several American women for a traditional Maharashtrian meal.
Chaitra is definitely worth a watch!