Sucker PUNCH

Actor and model Andrea Kevichusa is paving the way for new perspectives and experiences in Bollywood by bringing to the table an inspiring sense of hopefulness

There's a strength and resilience to Naga women. Over the years, they have managed to engage themselves effectively within their traditional space despite facing the complexity of a society undergoing the binary of change and continuity, with the pull towards modernity, on the one hand, and strong undercurrents of traditional and customary practices on the other. In essaying the role of Aido, an aspiring boxer, in her debut Bollywood film, Anek, actor, model and Nagaland native, Andrea Kevichusa draws from her growing-up years in Kohima to explore the notion of what it means to be Indian and a woman. "Aido is an empowered, three-dimensional character that I was allowed to examine extensively. She was fleshed out as an independent character that embodies the essence of a strong, liberated woman who is not just placed there to serve or accompany the plot. I'd say I had an unconventional debut, and while there aren’t too many characters written for women that fit the female gaze, I am glad I got to play one that did,” she says. In the film, Aido not only faces challenges inside the ring but also confronts bigotry and discrimination due to her roots.

In reality, too, Naga women form a powerful vanguard and can mobilise remarkably well against the injustices meted out to them, opines Naga writer Ningreichon, who, in her online article in 2006, looked at the role of various Naga women’s groups in brokering peace in an environment rife with angst and turbulence. “Naga women organisations have a national character as they have the mandate of the people and represent the voice of women, most of who were borne out of the conflict and are therefore an integral part of nation building,” she opines.