| ID | 195215 |
| Title Proper | Agency, voice and choice |
| Other Title Information | reflecting on assisted reproductive technologies through select Indian films |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Kashyap, Soumya ; Tripathi, Priyanka |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The article examines the contested aspects of neoliberalism through cinematic narratives, addressing the issue of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in India, a debated subject in socio-legal spheres. Existing literature extensively discusses the biopolitical and bioethical dimensions of commercialization and commodification, particularly concerning organ, egg, sperm donations, and gestational commercial surrogacy. This research endeavors to scrutinise and appraise the ethical quandaries emanating from the technological transformation of motherhood, as portrayed in fictional representations. These narratives shed light on the difficult situations faced by surrogates and egg donors, who are often driven by familial or socio-economic pressures to provide their reproductive services. Consequently, they become commodified within the context of India's In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) industry. Ergo, through the films I Am (2010) and Mimi (2021), this article probes into the intertwining socioeconomic situations of the large percentage of infertile women and claims that the positive discourse around the ‘new Indian women’ is inherently diluted and undermined. Additionally, the research emphasizes that ART—and more importantly, a new agency for single women—is reiterated within the political and socio-historical contexts of the films discussed. |
| `In' analytical Note | Contemporary South Asia Vol. 32, No.3; Sep 2024: p.343-359 |
| Journal Source | Contemporary South Asia Vol: 32 No 3 |
| Key Words | ART ; Surrogacy ; New Indian Woman ; Indian Films ; In vitro fertilization |