A Feminist Analysis of Ardab Mutiyaran

Abstract

Aim: This paper aims to examine Ardab Mutiyaran (2019) through feminist film theory to explore how Punjabi popular cinema negotiates women’s agency and the possibility of a female gaze within the constraints of the masala genre.

Methodology and Approaches: The study adopts a qualitative, text-based analytical approach grounded in feminist film theory. Drawing on Laura Mulvey’s concept of the male gaze and postfeminist critiques by Angela McRobbie and Mary Ann Doane, the paper conducts a close reading of the film’s narrative structure, visual style, characterisation, and use of humour.

Outcome: The analysis demonstrates that while the film foregrounds assertive female protagonists and gestures toward women-centred storytelling, these moments of empowerment remain structurally limited by comedic framing, romantic resolution, and domestic reconciliation.

Conclusion and Suggestions: The paper concludes that Ardab Mutiyaran functions as a transitional text that signals change without fully dismantling patriarchal narrative conventions. Future research may examine similar trends across contemporary Punjabi cinema to assess whether symbolic visibility translates into sustained narrative agency for women.