It is almost a week since Kabir Singh starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani hit theatres. In that time, the movie has become a huge hit while attracting diametrically opposite views. On the one hand, are those who have loved the movie and Kapoor's performance; lauding the movie as a passionate love story and well-made entertainer. On the other hand are those who find the movie incredibly problematic – where a violent, entitled, controlling, out-and-out misogynist is glorified and shown in a sympathetic light. So what do we make of the fact that #KabirSinghWinningHearts was trending on Twitter yesterday?
Those that loved the film are praising Shahid Kapoor’s portrayal as his best one yet. Fans of the actor, in particular, seem to feel that this movie cements his position as a truly fine actor.
Those who loved the film feel that this is not about misogyny, toxic masculinity or patriarchy. According to them, this is the story of a poor, tortured soul coming to grips with his own demons.
The movie is doing huge business and fans are cheering. According to them, all negative reviews are ‘biased’ and ‘exaggerated’.
Fans who could not, in all honesty, defend the violent ‘hero’ of the movie, they resorted to familiar whataboutery. The difference is that Safeena's violence in the movie is neither glorified nor condoned. Nor does she direct violence or toxic, controlling behaviour towards those she claims to love. Nor do her friends enable or support her violence.
Those that recognise why the movie is deeply problematic and still enjoyed it, put forward this clinching argument: it is just a movie. Let’s just watch it and move on.
We could say it’s just a movie and move on. If only Indian audiences weren't influenced by the protagonist on the screen; if only they were mature enough not to want to emulate his ‘heroism’. The movie shows abuse, toxic domination, needless violence, even attempted rape as OK, because, you know the poor guy is obsessed by his love. That is the message viewers, especially men take home with them.
This tweet seems to think this is funny: mindless violence directed at a woman who dares disagree with someone's (read a man's) view.
I remember reading those bodice-rippers ‘romance’ novels during my teens. They were called bodice rippers because they were full of men portrayed angry, violent, obsessed; ‘helpless’ because of their passion. Like these men, Kabir Singh is yet another brutal bully with zero respect for women, and zero idea about what constitutes consent.
Some women loved the film. However some had a visceral reaction against it. Some women felt as though they were reliving the all-too-familiar sense of being stripped of their agency, of being trapped in decisions made by the men in their life, of being abused, trivialised and infantalised while watching this film.
The ‘brilliant’ surgeon operates while heavily intoxicated. He abuses drugs and alcohol, smokes incessantly and feels the need to stuff ice down his pants to soothe his rampaging libido. The problem isn’t that a doctor is shown as being flawed, the problem is the filmmaker repeatedly offers justification for those flaws and the deeply problematic behavior.
In this review, Sucharita Tyagi points out all that is wrong with the film: this is a super-entitled, super-obnoxious man, who simply wants his own way. And this is before he meets the ‘love’ of his life and proceeds to mark his territory much as a randy tomcat would. This is not problematic in itself; so long as such a character isn’t shown as heroic, as irresistible to women and as the recipient of the undying loyalty and support of his friends. But he is! This is a problem. It is also a problem that the audience titters and claps when he displays some of his boorish and most toxic behaviour because it is presented as somehow funny or cool. Do watch this review; especially if you are a man who enjoyed the movie.
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