But while these Catholic women projected by Hrishikesh Mukherjee were cheerful and popular characters, Aparna Sen's poetry teacher led a lonely existence bereft of love and manipulated by her dear ones. Despite being an inspiration to a generation of students, at the end of the day, Miss Stoneham is alone and unable to subdue her demons. In the last few years, the Catholic community has become more vocal about how it is being projected. There have been strong protests from the community to some objectionable scenes. Director Aditya Chopra had to delete a scene from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge which depicted Shah Rukh Khan being funny inside a church.
Double standards are the hallmarks of Indian cinema.
If a more thinking audience however comes forward and articulates its feelings, perceptions will alter and hopefully, in the coming years, the Catholic community will not be associated with just club dancers, bootleggers, drunkards and stenographers. Some of the events threw me under while some put me into better shape. There was no wall around me to take flights into fantasy. I began to dream. I really believe that in the present consumerist culture, people have stopped dreaming.