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Jul 11, 2020
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a-character-analysis-of-safeena-from-gully-boy
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Jul 28, 2022 06:54 PM
Author: Hina
 
Meet Safeena from Gully Boy. She is an angry young woman who plays Gully Boy's love interest. An aspiring doctor, her only other wish in life is to get married to Murad (her childhood love). She has her flaws- is extremely possessive, has anger issues and lies in a heartbeat to her parents.
But there is a small scene in the movie where Safeena gets real with her parents, for once. They ask her what more does she want from life? She replies, "I want to go out, party, hang out with friends, watch cinema, wear lipstick, go to concerts, talk openly about boys, do all the normal things that other girls get to do"
Safeena carries a dual personality. One- a hijab wearing, obedient, good natured, pious muslim girl. And the other you can only see in glimpses. When she tells Murad, she loves him because he let's her be herself. Lets her be real like her parents don't. You see her steal kisses from Murad, go out without the Hijab, wear lipstick. You see her exercise her bodily autonomy and as well push her agency as an unmarried, aspiring doctor. They don't show what all she has to do to live this double life but one can guess, its not easy and requires a lot of manipulation and tip toeing.
Safeena may be a Muslim or an ex muslim. It's never established. Though we never see her praying. But her struggles are real like countless women who cannot exercise their agency because they're women. Because those are the traditions and culture. Because that's what the religion says and God demands. As an exmuslim point of view, one can understand the struggles of Safeena and can relate to her unapologetic behaviour towards her family. You do what you have to do for freedom.
More power to women still struggling for basic autonomy.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Exmuslims of India or any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the blog are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author(s) – and, since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time. Please do not hold us to them in perpetuity.
To hijab or not to hijabThe Importance of Being Exmuslim (in India)

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