The fantasy of dominance and intense love

Now days, cinema has been very influential in people’s world views as it opens up ideas about values and beliefs in society. Some films such as documentaries provide knowledge to people and some films are for pure muse of comedy. A film’s impact on society can be seen by getting global attention through movie festivals and media. Films specifically in the South Asian discourse have been influential and impactful in societies thinking, however these films do have consequences when it comes to the portrayal of toxic masculinity and subordination of women. The message films convey of controversial representations of toxic masculinity, violence, and submissiveness of women reflect and impact an audience’s view and their actions. I will explore the narratives of transnational and national films and their impact and relationships to provide a context of films in general. I will then express how toxic masculinity is normalized, the subordination of women, and sexualized violence is present in Bollywood films through analyzing the movie Kabir Singh. To provide greater depth, there will analyzation of scenes that showcase evidence and narratives from the filmmaker as well.

The importance of transnational and national cinema 

It is important to asses transnational and national films as they are both complex and explore different aspects. Through the scholar Veluree Metaveevinji, in her article “Negotiating representation: gender, city and nation in South East Asian transnational cinema” she explores the difference between the two and their impacts as well. Metaveevinji articulates how national cinema can be defined in many ways such as an economic perspective which is ideally like the domestic film industry (Metaveevinji 134). National cinema has films represent means of national identity or films where members of that nation watch. The main point of reasoning in national cinema is that there is a predominant relationship between the nation and cinema (Metaveevinji 134). On the other hand, transnational cinema can be seen beyond the lines of “national boundaries” as it represents the relationships between the local, national and the global (Metaveevinji 134). Transnational cinema showcases the issues such as the networks in the global industry with the use of every changing technologies. Transnational cinema is grounded in the global framework in both in appearance and narratively as it is seen as a flow of cultural products showcasing the different films in different context recognized throughout the world ((Metaveevinji 135).

 

Broad summary of Kabir Singh 

With the growing representation of women centered roles in cinema, there still is a present picture of toxic masculinity, subordination of women and sexualized violence in films. A very problematic Bollywood film that recently came out which shows these themes is Kabir Singh. This film is about a guy named Kabir Singh who is a short-tempered medical student, who falls in love with Preeti, who is a first-year medical student. Preeti’s father doesn’t approve of their relationship and decides to get Preeti married to another guy which breaks their relationship. This makes Kabir turn into drugs and alcoholic as he moves away from her. This movie is about intense love but its shows toxic masculinity, subordination, and violence in its place. The approval of the representation of this film is shown through the success of the film as it hit great numbers at the box office. As a consumer and audience member, we promote these representations through reinforcing it in society. Instead of recommending people to watch it, we shouldn’t as it makes the movie a financial success and promotes these representations further.

Toxic masculinity and submissive representations  

The scholar Manjusha Radhakrishnan reviews the movie and takes note of toxic masculinity and the representation of Preeti as an innocent girl who is a virgin. Radhakrishnan expresses how the movie displays Kabir as damaged and how he makes Preeti his property in college which represents her as submissive as she doesn’t stop or question him about it (Radhakrishnan 1).The submissiveness of Preeti is also seen in college when he moves her to his hostel and takes her out of classes so he can teach her as he is a graduate. On the other hand, toxic masculinity is shown as Kabir moves away and tries hooks up with a girl at her house, but the girl changes her mind and tells him to leave which angers him. He then proceeds to threaten her using a knife and demands a hook up which doesn’t happen as the radio starts playing. This scene shows how toxic masculinity can lead to sexualized violence which can influence audiences that it is okay to act this way. The ending of film where Preeti and Kabir end up together as he finds her at this sister care as she left home and pregnant with his child. They later go on to reunite with their families and it’s a happy ending which promotes that toxic relationships have happy endings. Preeti accepting his flaws and forgives him shows how he wins in being toxic and abusive. This shows that it’s okay to assert possessiveness and violence as it wins in the long run which is a problematic representation.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjFN7XzSrqM

This scene is the aftermath of Kabir going to Preeti’s house to get her hand in marriage, but her father disapproves. He gets mad at her and she says she can’t live without him and that they will find a way. This shows how a woman is dependent on a man and can’t live without him even though he is toxic. During the scene, he tells her that on campus she is only known as Kabir’s girl and that’s it. This shows how he believes that he owns her and even though she well educated she is nothing. She agrees with him which shows the submissiveness to this notion. This toxic masculinity and violence are seen through him slapping her and telling her she has 6 hours to persuade her father. This shows how toxic masculinity can preclude to violence which makes it normalized. This can produce harm to women and girls in society as men will think it’s okay to assert dominance and he is the most important thing in her life.

The problematic intel from a director’s perspective 

The director Sandeep Vanga responds to the scene above saying that ” If you can’t slap, if you can’t touch your woman wherever you want, if you can’t kiss, I don’t see emotion there.” By the director saying this is okay, this reinforces toxic masculinity and violence in society as people will think it’s okay and there will be a happy ending. Assaulting should never be expressed as having emotion, but this is normalized through toxic masculinity. By toxic masculinity being shown throughout the film, this normalizes Kabir’s actions which makes it okay. This acceptability is also seen through the director saying, “when you are deeply in love and deeply connected to a woman (and vice versa), if you don’t have the liberty of slapping each other, then I don’t see anything there.” Having these misogynistic views promotes this in society as the filmmaker believes in these notions. Intense love should not be about abuse; however, it is displayed through numerous Bollywood love songs and heartbreak played during the movie.

People want their life to be like movies as it’s a fantasy, however people should not want  dominance and violence just like in the movies. Movies are a bigger apart of our lives than we think as we believe it and want some aspects to be in our life. However, people need to look at the bigger themes projected in movies and analyze the problematic representations which projects in society. By films being national, it showcases the national identity with the consumer and transnational films connect with representations globally. However, the films being dispersed need to be critically examined as the prominent themes have affects in society. In the South Asian discourse, Bollywood films are still presenting problematic notions of toxic masculinity and  submissiveness of women which was shown in the movie Kabir Singh. By the director accepting the representations, this is concerning as it can reinforced through society. The normalization of toxic masculinity through acts of violence and submissiveness of women takes us back to history which can create standards norms of today which needs to be recognized and stopped.

Resources

Cute Insan. “Preeti and Kabir Singh fighting scene in Kabir Singh Movie.” Youtube,  9 Nov 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjFN7XzSrqM&feature=emb_title

“Kabir Singh Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga Savaged on Twitter for Controversial Comments: ‘What an Arrogant, Sexist Man’.” Hindustan Times, 7 July 2019, https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/kabir-singh-director-sandeep-reddy-vanga-savaged-on-twitter-for-controversial-comments-what-an-arrogant-sexist-man/story-T8z1kBM1NYbYOL4kR1zKFP.html.