Her trip abroad: Middle-class travels and feminism in women-centric popular Hindi movies

Abstract

This article examines the significance of the trip abroad and its limits in two women-centric popular Hindi movies, English Vinglish (2012) and Queen (2014). The two movies are similar in that the female protagonist's trip is central to the plot, and as the female character leaves her middle-class Hindu family in India and experiences new environments and friendships in the West, she realizes and renegotiates both her own location and identity. In spite of these ventures, the female protagonist remains focused on gaining self-respect and loyal to the nation. As a result, the two women-centric popular Hindi movies remain limited in scope, assuming a shift in the Indian patriarchal system rather than challenging the framework.