Commentary and Analysis of the Movie Matrubhoomi A...

We see the cycle of violence on women several times in the film Matrubhoomi: A Nation without Women. The movie opens with a traumatic scene, the birth and death of a newborn baby girl. A disturbing sight, the baby is killed because she is not male. The movie is set in a community in India that has killed off almost all of their women population. The belief in the community is that men are superior and women are disposable. With a population of mostly men, there are very few women left for these men to marry and to bear children for them. The movie explores a side of the community that participates in what could be labeled as homosexual activities. The men share in communal sexual experiences, viewing porn in a group setting and watching men dressed in drag while dancing, as there are no women for strip tease entertainment. There is even a brief hint of bestiality shown as a man in the film takes on a cow after watching porn. These men have no women to have sex with. As the f ilm goes on, it is obvious that there is a real need for women in the community of mostly single men who need and want wives and look to women for having male children. According to Prasad and Ramesh (2007), Indians believe that a son is an asset that can bring wealth to a family. Arranged marriage is accepted and marriage is an important institution in Indian culture. A girl is seen as a burden to her family and will leave the family in debt of a dowry. Wedlock creates inequality that women’s