Beyond the Controversy: Why Lipstick Under My Burkha Remains a Defining Film for Female Expression

In 2017, a small Hindi film with a provocative title became the battleground for a much larger war: the fight for female storytelling in mainstream Indian cinema. Lipstick Under My Burkha, directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and produced by Prakash Jha, wasn't just a movie. It was a manifesto wrapped in a coming-of-age dramedy, a film that dared to show women — not as goddesses or vamps, but as messy, desiring, flawed, and wonderfully ordinary human beings.

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Criticisms and Limitations

Some critics argued that the film occasionally resorts to melodrama or that its intercutting of disparate stories limits deeper development of each character. Others noted a tension between its commercial packaging and radical message. Nonetheless, these critiques do not overshadow its cultural significance and emotional honesty.

The film skillfully interweaves the narratives of four protagonists, each fighting their own quiet battle for autonomy:

The film eventually hit Indian theaters on July 21, 2017, and became a commercial "Hit" despite its limited screen count.