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Remember Kartik Aaryan’s ‘Pyar Ka Punchnama’ rant? “Problem yeh hai ki wo ladki hai“- (The problem is that she is a girl)” – says the young chap talking to his guy friends, while discussing “girlfriend issues”. Casually sexist, but what’s funny in it? The problem is this is just the beginning of a highly problematic monologue, which tries to be representative of male sentiments. But if this is how men feel about their partners… then god save the partners.
In his several minutes-long rant, which perhaps drew inspiration from Shankar Mahadevan’s ‘Breathless’, this young man goes on to suggest that women look for partners because they are gold-diggers. And also they are emotionally “too” needy at all times, during a relationship, or during a break-up or even amid intimacy. The trash talk just intensifies. “In the name of platonic relationship, women can do anything but men can’t?” Hey bro! ever heard of consent? “If you talk about their clothes they suddenly go feminist type…”
Well, if you or the makers would have educated themselves a bit, there is nothing like “feminist type”. One is either a feminist or not and clearly, this lead character, makers or the dialogue writers are far from that road. The end is the worst when he literally ends up objectifying women. “Isse accha to haath se hi shaadi kar lo.. (It’s better to get married to your hand). Sincere sympathies with the hand.
Luv Ranjan, the director of this movie, surprisingly has made ‘Aakash Vani’ too, which is a movie on marital rape. Yet, that did not mean he would not portray women as gold diggers again. He did that in ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’ (which released in 2018).
Circa 2023, and story-telling on big screen is expected to make some progress. Or may be not.
“Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar” – the title suggests that a man is saying I am just two shades darker than what you are. The lead characters fall in love in most exotic locations – because they have to- like any other Bollywood movie. While it could have, and should have ended there but…..
The female protagonist in this case – Shraddha Kapoor – has space issues. She does not want to live with a joint family after marriage. But the one time she admits it, she is highly apologetic about it. “I did not want to be the bad one”.
The guy is of course wearing a halo at all times, and does not mind being a sacrificial lamb. (Of course, it’s a Luv Ranjan movie)
The end is what masses would accept – a middle ground and a happily ever-after. To be fair, the movie does try to show what makes a woman uncomfortable in a new home, but it all passes like a feeble attempt.
Unfortunately, the so-called balancing act can hardly whitewash the sexism in the past.
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