On Dowry in “An Important Calculation”
On Dowry in "An Important Calculation"
“An Important Calculation” is a film that portrays what is possibly a middle class household. The “woman of the house” is making tea at the beginning of the film when her sister-in-law emerges from her bedroom wearing a “the world is female” shirt while giving a diatribe on how her brother could have gotten a better match. “Alina was much better” because her father was willing to offer ten lakh for the match.
The older sister-in-law sits down with the tea and cunningly challenges the notion that she does not bring value to the house, despite the accusations that she doesn’t do her housework on time or as expected. She calculates what her father invested in her upbringing to her college tuition. When the younger sister-in-law is not attempting to keep up with the tally in her head, she attempts to interject, only to be met with another number. The elder mentions that there are women who suffer because they cannot afford to pay dowry.
In this 5 minute short, Millizai provokes intrigue into the social backdrop of dowry in Pakistan. For those unfamiliar with the tradition or how it places itself in Pakistani society, there’s much to learn about the custom.
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