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To see Farhan's character in Toofan romance a woman half his age and using the sacrifice of her character to find his mojo and redeem himself is too much!
To see Farhan’s character in Toofan romance a woman half his age and using the sacrifice of her character to find his mojo and redeem himself is too much!
Dear Farhan Akhtar,
I for one am of the firm belief that the season of open letters is totally done! You see, no one really reads them (excepting the author suffering from a ‘profundity overloaded’!)
Yet here I am writing one.
You see, way back in palaeolithic times when you debuted with ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, you had this freshly minted graduate hooked. I followed your creations with a religious zeal, till a storm aka #Toofan came along.
I’m not going to waste words talking about this Bollywoodean Trope filled Slugfest. Too many have written too many words already.
But two nuggets stand out.
I want to start with the first nugget. You remember Sonali Kulkarni? She was one of the three heroines of ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. Yes, the same lady with whom Saif Ali Khan walked into the sunset. In #Toofan she is the mother of your love interest. Of course, you never meet her in the flick because she is bumped off before she can grey. Two decades later you are still the lead serenading the lasses. Nitpicking? Ok, I give that to you!
The second nugget is mind-boggling, to say the least!
In which parallel universe does a qualified doctor with a killer smile settle for sorting the dreams of a wannabe boxer from the ghetto? That too after two meetings?
Ok, tempered by life, I might be cynical and oblivious to mechanisms of a chemical reaction called love. Love happens right? Doesn’t see class, caste, creed. That too I shall cede to you.
But to have the smart, educated lass who throws you out initially for your professional Bhaigiri then fall hook line and sinker for you, in the next scene, because you decide to lead a life of respect by punching across is difficult to stomach. Though the cheery doc doesn’t doubt her decision one bit for she has spotted a golden heart under that shiny shirt of yours!
Her life’s mantra now is to make you a champion and she calibrates her own dreams accordingly. Rather she has none.
The discussions you both have is all about YOU! We never know what drives her, what is her road map ahead. But we know the purpose of her character! To add sheen to you!
In reality, though, I hear the young ladies think differently. Having a personal goal/career is given. For them vibing with their partner is paramount and mutual respect for each other’s time and efforts is essential.
When did art imitate life, huh?
I speak as a selfish mom of PYT. To see a daughter, for whom I fought the world, give up on her goals, and make mentoring of her meandering mate her sole priority would be breaking. It would also reflect poorly on my parenting skills. I wouldn’t have raised her right then, would I?
Also, what if, Farhan, in your flick, the little miss sunshine were to be hospitalized with a few cracks here and there instead of dying? Wouldn’t that have been enough for you to get cracking? After each victorious bout of yours, she gets better miraculously – one crack healed per fight.
I’m bouncing ideas vainly here. Na, that wouldn’t be a Bollywood fare!.
The wastrel from bylanes, wasting away only to be redeemed by a PYT with enough cheerful syrup oozing through every single pore is bad enough.
To have this half his age damsel bumped off to bring out his inner MOJO and purpose in life is grating.
Sure it looks and feels aspirational but wouldn’t the reality bite?
Yours truly waiting in eternal anticipation Ek Dukyaari Ma
Anupama Jain is the author of: * ’Kings Saviours & Scoundrels -Timeless Tales from Katha Sarita Sagara’, listed as one of the best books of 2022 by @Wordsopedia. Rooted in the traditional storytelling of Indian legends, warriors, read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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