The second season of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has been receiving some outrage – rightly so, given how it constantly passes insensitivity as “fun”. Not that we were expecting much logic, but that’s not a wild card to be sexist or offensive and make it a trademark of the show. Each episode, each scene can leave you facepalming because you can’t really argue with a screen.
This time, the show just seems like a competition of ‘who can be more toxic‘. Clearly, Samir Soni is winning it with his nonchalant sexism.
I mean, was he unaware that the camera was rolling or is it just that normal for him?
1. He raised a toast to women ‘losing weight’.
During a brunch, with friends, he went on to call all the women, ‘twice their size’ in the first season of the show. Like that wasn’t enough, he then toasts them for losing all the weight. Because well, how can women not be the perfect, standardized size? Imagine toasting to this, before you’re about to eat. He’s definitely got amazing timing!
2. His first reaction to Neelam Kothari doing a kissing scene, was… something.
Neelam discussed with Samir that she was being considered for a role in Zoya Akhtar’s Made In Heaven 2, which requires her to kiss on-screen. Of course, he went on to make her feel more uncomfortable than she already was, while also giving his opinion on it. He did come around, finally. But it’s not really something, where he gets to have a say.
3. According to Samir, a woman (his wife) should prioritize the husband (him) and only him, after getting married.
When Seema brought up that Neelam had almost ghosted her after getting married, Samir thought that it was the right thing to do. Duh, he is the pati parmeshwar, why should his wife have a personal life other than that? Instead of telling Neelam to maybe clear things out, and listen to Seema’s side of the story, he just gave us all a shaadi 101, for getting our priorities straight.
4. Samir Soni thinks that all women are gold-diggers.
Without actually pronouncing it, the guy literally came up with his own statistics on how all rich industrialists “have pretty women”. He was not only condescending to a set of people, commenting on their bodies and appearance, but to literally all women. It takes a lot of ignorance to offend two different sets of people in the same sentence. He did THAT right.
5. He doesn’t respect his wife’s friends.
You cannot have the same opinion about people, and that’s normal. But, literally instigating your wife against her friend group is not okay. Samir literally acts on his issues with them, without actually bringing them up. There’s more to a woman’s life than just the husband, how difficult is it to understand that?
6. When Samir announced that “feminists and all” don’t watch women-oriented films.
A) It’s not ‘feminist and stuff’, and it’s DEFINITELY not a shame to be called a feminist — while he clearly meant otherwise. B) Who’s giving him this information, specifically for when he has a debate on national television? I mean, it’s untrue, and he literally spew anything that he assumes, as a fact, which is actually, incorrect.
7. He constantly questioned Neelam’s efficiency and ability to do more things than one.
When Neelam planned a holiday with her friends, after her shoot, while also managing the family, she felt overwhelmed, which is a human emotion. And instead of consoling her or dividing the load, Samir points out that she “bites more than she can chew”. Just… slow claps, really.
8. He doesn’t get female friendships or just friendships, for that matter.
Having a close-knit group or not, both are choices that we make. There’s no right or wrong way to be. But when your partner does have a close group of friends, you cannot really expect them to put that set of people on a backseat. And seriously, friendship is just as important as any relationship in life, and to pass sarcastic comments is just not funny. Dumping or ghosting do exist in friendships, Samir!
9. When he literally asked Neelam to not consider taking up a project because she has HIM.
Of course, women are meant to take care of the family, her husband and children. Anything more means that she’ll be compromising on you share of attention, and how can we let that happen? Or at least that’s what Samir Soni thinks. His good reason for ‘telling’ Neelam to not get into a business is — “you’ll be in a bad mood with, when you come home.”
10. Here’s him just throwing casual sexism left and right.
He’s so ignorant, I wanna cry.