We all know Bollywood and originality are inversely proportional. The more Bollywood-ish a film, the less original the movie. In tune with B-town’s pledge to endorse stereotypes, let’s take a look at another quintessential character you’ll often find cruising through several Hindi films – the ‘bad girl’. She’ll either quickly pop in to wreck havoc on the male lead’s life, or be the lost damsel in distress engulfed by the western lifestyle only to be rescued by sachcha pyaar or Indian sanskaar.
Here are 10 characteristics you’ll find in every Bollywood ‘bad’ girl ever:
1. She drinks, and she drinks a lot
The first sign of a ‘bad’ girl in Bollywood movies is that she’s a wild child. She drinks, she parties and the worst, she’s unapologetic about it. Her drinking is portrayed as early-onset alcoholism. It’s almost as if she drinks like a man?
2. She has a spine
She stands up for herself. She goes after what she wants. She won’t take bullshit from anyone. She doesn’t bow down to asshole elders who claim superiority and demand women abide by their every wish and command without question, just cause their older.
3. She lacks sanskaar
A girl who doesn’t talk with “jhuki hui nazaar,” ain’t meek or docile and doesn’t replicate the template Indian bahu is in short an uncultured swine.
4. She’s a go-getter
Career, money, men – she’ll go to any lengths to get what she wants. But what’s icky here is that she will never ask a man for help, and we don’t do that in Bollywood.
5. Her family gives her too much independence
You mean to say her family treats her like a rational fucking human being and not a two-year-old who needs to be mollycoddled? Her family gives her financial independence, lets her live on her own and doesn’t expect her to put her family’s needs above herself to be their slave? Dare I ask why should family have any say over a woman’s choice in the first place? Maybe I am a bad girl too.
6. She wears slutty clothes
A woman having the autonomy of wearing what she wants is in a word unacceptable. This includes heavy makeup, mini skirts, or all forms of western clothing that shows any skin really. Unless of course, they’re Indian clothes – then it’s fine.
7. She has many, many lovers
How dare she not settle for a society sanctioned rishtaa and live and die for one man her entire life? If a woman explores her interest in multiple men and doesn’t want to settle for “The One”: Blasphemy! She’s a whore.
8. She has an active sex life
The absolute worst, most unforgivable offence any Indian girl can ever commit is losing her virginity prior to shaadi. Even murder is better than this.
9. She treats men the same way men treat women.
She desires, she lusts and she makes the first move. Therefore, she’s cunning and manipulative and somehow the man is an idiot who neatly falls into her trap.
10. She acts like a man
Have you noticed what all the above points have in common? They act like men 🙂
There is only one redemption arc for these women – stop being themselves and submit to the ideals of Indian society. Oh also find a man while you’re at it.