In Jest Or In Poor Taste? Bollywood's Best (Or Worst) Wife Jokes

Have you ever wondered why men are so secretive about their boys' chat groups? Ever thought about what they talk about regarding their wives or girlfriends when they hang out with their friends? Based on Bollywood portrayals, there seem to be two kinds of men. One type shares with their friends how the women in their lives have transformed them, helping them grow and glow. Meanwhile, the other type views their wives and girlfriends as a prime topic to make jokes about and laugh at in front of their friends. Then, there’s a third category I'd like to believe exists: men who possess both traits. After all, generalisations aren’t fair, right?

Remember Surinder Suri in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi? How drunk Suri stands up for his Tani Ji when his drunk friend makes inappropriate comments about her, even teaching his friend to slap her. Suri says, "The day this hand rises against her, I'll cut it off entirely. I love Tani, and I want her to always be happy, never to change." And the rest is history—how he transforms himself to win his wife's love, ensuring she remains her true self.

Just like Suri, Deepak from Laapata Ladies sat with his friends to drink, feeling really sad about losing Phool. One of his friends said something mean about Phool without realising that it hurt Deepak. But even though he was drunk, Deepak stood up for Phool, showing how much he cared for her. In a similar way, in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani," Prem was heartbroken over losing his girlfriend. He hung out with his friends and had a few drinks to cope with his sadness. While he was drinking, he couldn't help but talk about his girlfriend with tears in his eyes. Even though he was hurting, he still showed how much he loved her.

Exploring Bollywood's Best (or Worst) Wife Jokes

These guys might be different, but they all showed that even when things are tough, they stand up for their women, whether it be in front of friends or not. However, some Bollywood characters have unfortunately turned their wives or married lives into punchlines, making jokes of their wives or relationships. Without delving into detailed critiques, here are a couple of instances:

In a scene from Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024), Shahid Kapoor's character and his office buddy engage in conversation. However, their chat gets interrupted when Kapoor's character jokingly mocks marriage and wives, just as his friend receives a call from his own wife, questioning why a towel is still on the bed. It's noteworthy that Kapoor's character in the movie is portrayed as someone avoiding marriage, under pressure from his parents, who want him to settle down soon. 

Maybe for the writers, this scene was important as it helped establish Kapoor's character, who really doesn't like the idea of getting married and thinks wives are a trouble. But, you know, they tried to make it funny by turning it into a joke. Whether people actually found it funny, though, that's another story.

In Kushi (2023), Vijay Deverkonda's character mostly appears as a green flag. However, there's a scene where, while drinking with his friend, the friend jokes about marriage, calling it a form of suicide and saying he's already dead. Deverakonda's character swiftly intervenes, teaching his friend a lesson. But then he undoes everything by singing a whole song disrespecting his wife in front of a large crowd, portraying how she supposedly ruined his life. It's a cringe-worthy moment, you want to see it? then here you go.

Next is the infamous scene from Animal (2023) that had everyone buzzing. Ranbir Kapoor's character decides to give his friends a lesson on how to control their wives after marriage, because apparently that's the mark of a great man. He uses his own marriage as an example, claiming that it was a love marriage and now his wife is out of control. The theatre might have been filled with laughter during this scene, but social media? It was practically exploding with discussions, and not the good kind.

In Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar (2023), Kapoor's friend, played by Anubhav Singh Bassi, becomes the king of wife jokes. He cracks joke after joke about his own wife and their marriage, even targeting his pregnant wife. Maybe he wasn't ready for marriage, didn't want to marry her, or just wasn't happy with the situation. Whatever the reason, the jokes kept coming, and because he's a good comedian, he had everyone in stitches. 

In Laapata Ladies (2023), there's a scene where a police officer makes a joke about his wife in front of some strangers and a junior colleague. It's a straight-up wife joke, which is why it stands out in the movie, which beautifully calls out misogyny and sexism in a comedic tone.

We're all ears for your addition to our list. And if you've got examples of husband jokes made by female characters, feel free to share; next, we will have an article on them.