Constructing Womanhood in Fagun Haway (2019): Balancing Female Agency within a Patriarchal Narrative

Abstract

The Language Movement of 1952 was a pivotal event in Bangladesh’s history, sparking nationalism that eventually led to independence from Pakistan in 1971. Despite women’s active participation in this movement, their contributions have received little acknowledgment in historical narratives. This study examines how the film Fagun Haway (2019) portrays the female protagonist in the context of the 1952 Language Movement. Using a qualitative content analysis of the film guided by Stuart Hall’s (1997) representation theory, the analysis explores whether the film challenges or reinforces gender stereotypes. The findings indicate that while the protagonist’s engagement in the Language Movement demonstrates subtle female agency and challenges some stereotypical portrayals of women, the film’s narrative ultimately centres male heroism. In Fagun Haway (2019), female participation is depicted and valued, yet the male protagonist remains the dominant figure, reflecting an underlying patriarchal bias. This tension between female agency and patriarchal framing highlights the complex negotiation of womanhood in Bangladeshi historical cinema.