Lihaaf: The Quilt

synopsis

Based on the short story written in 1942 by Indian female Urdu writer Ismat Chugtai, Lihaaf is a narrative of a true event that happened in Ismat's life when she was in her teens. Living in a feudal family, Ismat witnessed an emotional and physical relationship between Begum, who is often neglected by her husband, and her lady masseur. Lihaaf goes ahead and sheds light on how the behaviour of rich land-owning men, who are often lost in their pursuit of male-centric pleasures, resulted in the women seeking joys in the female company out of sheer neglect.