Power in Madness: The Representation of Madwomen in Contemporary Bangladeshi Web Series and Films

Abstract

Madness is often considered as ‘feminine’. Women are often portrayed as mad to force the idea of instability or unreliability, and madwomen challenge the conventional gender standard which also transgresses the norms and values of society. This paper will explore the depiction of madwomen in contemporary Bangladeshi web series and films by focusing on one film Rehana Maryam Noor by Abdullah Muhammad Saad and two web series Taqdeer and Sabrina by Ahmed Shawki and Ashfaque Nipun. The purpose of this study is to show how these films and web series have used the concept of madwomen to give women agency and empowerment. However, it is important to understand the representation of madwomen in popular culture, particularly in contemporary Bangladeshi web series and films. Hence, this paper will be a feminist study and it will give an insight into the representation of madwomen in contemporary Bangladeshi films and web series. This paper will analyze three characters of madwomen from this film and web series. To explore these three female characters, this research will use Gilbert and Guber's idea of monster women. In this study, Mulvey’s concept of curiosity will be used to examine how their transgressive curiosity has turned them into madwomen and helped them to resist sexual violence and sexual harassment in a patriarchal society. This paper will show women’s curiosity and madness work as power and assist women to gain empowerment in the patriarchal structure.