To add to the overall vivid hues, individuals are seen splattering tinted water balloons, squirting one another with flute-sized syringes (pichkaris) filled with coloured liquid, and spreading rainbow colours on one another as Holi morning breaks. The festival's essence and core content is bringing joy, color, and hope to everyone. As a result, the celebration is carnivalesque and colourful due to its mythological, spiritual, cultural, and social appropriation. However, the romantic portrayal of Holi is not the same as how many women feel it. The fact that some males disregard moral and social boundaries in their celebration of the event is upsetting.

They view Holi as a wild and unbridled occasion that permits them to harass women and girls with dry hues. Over time, the festival of colours—which was originally intended to be a constructive and amusing exchange between individuals of different sexes within mutually acceptable bounds—has evolved into an evil event for women. We will examine the problematic effects of Holi in movies and ancient culture, the discomfort it causes for women, and how we might put an end to them.

The Counterfeited Portrayal of ‘Bura Na Mano Holi Hai’ Through Cinema and Culture

The well-known catchphrase "Bura Na Mano, Holi Hai" captures the joy and splendour of Holi. (implying, "It's Holi, don't mind." Or "It's Holi, don't take offence." This common catchphrase expresses the idea of a reunited celebration or socially harmonious unity in which all wrongdoings and grudges must be forgiven in the spirit of the festival. However, when all lines of accountability, choice, and consent are eliminated under the guise of the slogan, Holi celebrations hold no meaning. This disregard and disintegration of the festival's vibrant essence highlight how Holi's vibrancy has been limited to the improper use of colour rather than its manipulation.

Speaking specifically of the gendered aspect of this misuse, it is clear that men casually ignore the belief that Holi represents the celebration of life, the victory of good over evil, and relative harmony under the guise of the slogan "Bura na mano, Holi hai." They treat the carnival destructively, which depresses its fundamental qualities. They engage in hooliganism and intentionally harass women and girls by ambushing them with water balloons, eggs, tomatoes, mud, dirt, and powdery colours, among other things. From the perspective of gender domination the festival of Holi becomes less colourful in the true sense of the word and more of a celebration of tangible and material colours, encouraging the act of flinging and splattering colours without accountability or consent. The festival of Holi becomes less colourful in the true sense of the word and more of a celebration of tangible and material colours, encouraging the act of flinging and splattering colours without accountability or consent.

Bollywood has also greatly exalted it. In this teasing game, women are depicted dressed in transparent, white attire with little scope for imagination when wet. Perverts' imagination is reinforced with obscene, inexpensive Holi song lyrics. To all the villains who use Holi as a pretext to feel, push, and touch the woman's body wherever they go, it's a complete windfall. Besides women, young boys and even grown men often complain about being roughly touched at Holi. To increase pleasure, people drink and force others to do the same. They then use this as an excuse for their improper behaviour. People don't like to accept "no" as an answer when they're celebrating. It is attempted to stifle voices who criticize the toxic masculinity displayed during Holi celebrations and utterly demonise their stance.

A colourful fest often turns into a nightmare for women

Why am I saying that Holi is no longer a colourful festival for women but has now turned into a festival of colours that is banned? Because incidents of sexual harassment and oppression start to occur around the time of Holi, is a quick response to this question. Women are deliberately being targeted at their breasts, hips and other bodily areas, which adds to the nauseating and disgusting aspect of these behaviours. The fact that women's experiences of the vibrant event differ greatly from those of males is what counts here.

Most of these women at one time or another during the festival of Holi have been the targets of minor or major sexual harassment. Holi can be a nightmare for them, and they either quit or make excuses such as skin problems, menstruation, or other reasons for not wanting to participate in the festival. Then they are ridiculed by being called prudish, chicken-hearted, or kill pleasures. This is the old "lath maar" Holi, but it is perverted and made naughty by uncouth persons who play Holi at the cost of women. Men cover themselves with buckets, drums, and other objects, and they also use them to pelter with water women who attempt to physically attack them with sticks, strings, pipes, etc. She is subjected to the intense, piercing, leering gaze of lecherous men who are waiting for a chance to pounce on her and get their share of fun during the crazy time that follows through this process.

When incidents of harassment and humiliation occur, the festival's congenitally related sentimental and soulful worth of colourfulness, joy, and playfulness vanishes in the context of women. Community fiendish miscreants who attempt to pass off their intentions as innocent amusement overshadow Holi celebrations. Even worse is when someone you know and trust uses Holi playing as a ruse to harass you.

How can Holi be a festival of light, hope and love for women and not one of fear?

The cynical misuse and abuse of the phrase "Bura na mano, Holi hai" is largely sustained by the unbalanced thread of male dominance and female subjugation in Indian society. This points towards the function of the "idealized norm of conduct" which leads to the production of a certain social state. We would recognize that the said notion of the "norm of conduct," including the normalization of the perception that the systematic ascription of men to "freedom" and women to "captivity," is the qualified normalized order within the framework of the unequal socioeconomic state that prevails in the region around Holi. Thus, the violence that continues to be a part of Holi is a result of a controlled and planned operation and not an unplanned and spontaneous event. Women do not wish to celebrate Holi because they need to be pampered, but they wish to celebrate it.

 White highlights colours, therefore that's why she might choose to wear it. Individuals' comfort zones and personal boundaries vary from person to person. Stay inside your boundaries and only play Holi with people who want to play with you. Harassment is when someone gives you unwanted, unsolicited, and non-receivable attention. Don't make others feel uneasy just because you believe it to be right. It is necessary to celebrate the festival in a manner that everyone is satisfied. To some, turning it into a fear-filled experience drains the enthusiasm.

Conclusion

The role of Holi as a great fabric of total devotion and delight, courtesy and kindness, balance and harmony, has been reduced to being all about a riot (uproar and havoc) of colours. The festival's vibrancy is eventually diminished by the harassment and humiliation that have occurred in the name of Holi. To all women: let's recover the right to celebrate Holi in a safe and harassment-free environment by being aware of our rights and upholding the boldness of the spirit of no means a no even when it comes to playing with the festival of colours.

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