This paper examines the women in the classic Malay movies Dewi Murni, Gul Bakawali and Selendang Delima who are depicted to be resilient, righteous and faithful. Upon analysis, the researcher has concluded that there are no proper Malay theories that can be applied to discuss the image of these Malay heroines (in the films discussed) and as such an interest developed to examine these characters in accordance to the Indian characterisation of heroines found in the Natyasastra. The shastras have ascertained the basic psychological status of woman, the Nayaki, into eight divisions, called Ashtanayika bhavas. These divisions portray the heroine in different situations, expressing different feelings, sentiments and reactions.Methods of characterization is used to analyse the female characters in the films stated, focusing on physical description, attitude, inner thoughts, reactions and speech to note on how they emerge from being frail and docile to becoming strong independent women, all within the boundaries set by their respective culture and tradition. Malay women are portrayed as passive, loyal, persevering, accepting, submissive and pure in most Malay literature. The objectives of the study lies in the assertation of the strength and intelligence of the female characters in the films and hopes to establish them as female protagonists who are at par with their male counterparts by examining them through the lenses of Natyasastra’s Ashtanayika bhavas.
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In-Text Citation: (Raj & Veerappan, 2018)
To Cite this Article: Raj, S. M., & Veerappan, R. M. (2018). An Exploration of the Nayakis (Heroines) in the Malay Classic Films of Dewi Murni, Gul Bakawali and Selendang Delima based on Natyasastra’s Ashtanayika bhavas. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(7), 23–31.
Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s)
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