Women have been screaming at the top of their lungs about how Bollywood films are misogynistic. This has been a discussion for a long time but things are changing at snail’s pace. There are scenes which portray women poorly and it’s simply appalling to see the makers show everything from casual sexism, violence, to even sexual assault.
We asked 10 women to reveal Bollywood scenes that have scarred them and there is a pattern at play here. Read the answers below.
1. “When Kabir Singh hit Preeti.” – Manya Ailawadi
2. “That one scene in Tere Naam where some gunda eve-teases a mute woman and pulls down her skirt.” – Aastha Jindal
3. “I don’t remember the scene but watching Kundan stalk Zoya was not right for me. The way it was equated to love was terrible, and Kundan’s audacity to bother her when she was with Akram was unsettling. Just let her be and accept that maybe she doesn’t like you.” – Roshni
4. “That scene in Pink when Amitabh Bachchan said, “She said, no.” It scarred me because it showed what society we are living in where no is never seen as a proper response. No is never an option.” – Nabodita G
5. “I happened to watch Vivaah recently only for Shahid. But as a dusky-skinned woman, it was triggering for me. It was heartbreaking to see a darker-skinned woman being put down by her own mother. That scene where she smears powder on her face broke me.” – Ardhya
6. “Akshay forcibly kissing Kareena in Kambakkht Ishq. Dude, stop it.” – Shraddha Aind
7. “Salman saying, ‘Pyaar se de rahein hai rakh lo warna thappad maar ke bhi de sakte hai‘ to Sonakshi in Wanted. Why is Bollywood so keen on showing men who can hit women?” – Neeti Grover
8. “That scene in Sanju where Ranbir’s character counts the number of women he has slept with. He goes on to ask if he should count the sex workers separately. When he took their service, it wasn’t a problem but now he’s giggling about it.” – Radhika KS
9. “When SRK slathers Holi ke rang on Juhi’s face in Darr.” – Shreyoshi Thakur
10. “When the guy cuts his wrist in Raanjhanaa and Sonam’s character falls in love with him. I mean, confusing obsession with love does happen, especially when you’re young, but the writers could have done something else with it instead of making us empathise with the guy.” – Ira
The scenes mentioned here show how the woman is stripped of her agency. She isn’t allowed to do things, she is intimidated for no reason and is even manipulated. Annoyingly, these are the very reasons why men don’t find any problem with most of the scenes mentioned here.
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