 Ladies Junction
 At
last, they have found their voices. Gone are the days when men decided what
women can and cannot speak in public. The stereotypical role of women is not
defined by the paterfamilias any more. You will be disappointed (or shocked?) to
find a TV programme that’s devoid of weepy mothers, sacrificing daughters,
cruel mothers-in-law, callous husbands, arrogant sisters-in-law, tearful
fathers, etc. in the stock character list. ‘Ladies Junction’ seems to
challenge this formulaic trend in the entertainment realm.
Aired between 6.30 and 7 p.m.
on weekdays, ‘Ladies Junction’, a road show, was launched to commemorate the
10th anniversary of Raj TV. Suhasini Maniratnam, actress-turned-director, is the
anchor. Showcasing the different facets of women, this programme seems to have
arrested the attention of the Tamil audience quite easily.
Women of all ages participate
in the programme enthusiastically. Women from the rural areas air their
thoughts, ideas and opinions on various topics, including controversial ones.
The programme aims at touching upon areas that have been blissfully ignored till
now as not worthy of discussion and exploration.
So long forced to face
ridicule, sarcasm and hostile comments, women, through this programme, give a
glimpse of the various difficulties they have to endure in their day-to-day
lives. Though it’s not an innovative one - Podhigai’s ‘Magalir Panchayat’
programme was a fore-runner - it deserves its laurels for giving space to women
to bring their problems into the open and making inroads into their thoughts.
 Mesmerised
are we when amazingly incredible catastrophes and complicated plots are tackled
with fortitude by idealised and celluloid heroines. In ‘Ladies Junction’,
you will be moved not by the glycerine-armed heroines, but by the degree of the
suffering the village folk have endured physically, mentally and
psychologically. The first-hand account of gender discrimination and other
trials make the audience think.
“It’s enriching. It
encourages the general public to notice that women will not be cowed down
unnecessarily any more. Unlike the other TV progrmmes, this show avoids
propagating negative emotions and encourages women to face problems
courageously,” says Sandhya Gopinath, a final year student of Stella Maris
College.
“I like it because it gives
an opportunity for self-expression. It’s a place to raise our voice. We can
discuss things without fear of being censored,” says Seetha Krishnan, a
housewife.
The field of opinion has always
been dominated by male voices. ‘Ladies Junction’ shackles the so far
conventional plumage of gender expectations. The women are articulate and thus
look forward to a more open and balanced society. Three cheers, brave women!
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