5 Male Characters In Bengali Films Who Set Relationship Goals By Being Equal Partners

Feminist Male Characters In Bengali Films: Bengali movies have been breaking barriers by presenting strong female characters on screen, some of them being Paromita from Paromitar Ek Din, Mehul from Parineeta, Parama from Parama and many others. But there are several such movies that compel us to keep our eyes fixed on the progressive male characters as well.

These characters aren't the epitome of toxic masculinity and male ego but are more close to reality and shatter several gender stereotypes that perpetuate on-screen. When we are looking for equal partners these are some of the reel characters that come to our mind:

1. Archi (Crisscross)

Ira (Mimi Chakraborty) is a photojournalist and is mostly busy with her work. She is in a live-in relationship with Archi (Arjun Chakrabarty) who cooks her meals. It is endearing to see him come to her office with her tiffin and seeing that she gets to eat timely. Through a flashback, we learn that Ira promised Archi to earn and pay the bills timely while Archi gave word that he would make delicious recipes for Ira. Archi's character might not have gathered much of the viewer's attention as Crisscross is a movie that mainly talks of strong women from different fields. Nonetheless, he is a supportive and progressive boyfriend who ensures his partner that he would be by her side through thick and thin.

2. Naseer Ali (Bishornjan and Bijoya)

What I loved the most about Naseer Ali's (Abir Chatterjee) character in Bishorjon and the movie's sequel Bijoya is his transformation. In Bishorjon, he is revealed as being associated with the Black market business. His love for Padma (Jaya Ahsan), a young Bangladeshi widow who saves his life makes him give up the trade. In Bijoya, Naseer is introduced as a pharmacist who leads his life with dignity and respect. We may call him disloyal for cheating on his girlfriend Ayesha but once in love with Padma, he remains faithful to her despite being separated for about six years. Though they never expect to meet each other again, fate seems to have different plans for them.

Bishorjon ends on a poignant note with Naseer leaving for India and Padma marrying Ganesh, the old zamindar. As the two meet in Bijoya, the viewers hope to see a reunion but we are once again left in despair when we see them parting ways. I find Naseer a progressive boyfriend because he not only helps in Ganesh's treatment with all his means but also respects Padma's relationship with him, never trying to have her back in his life. It is only when Ganesh is suspected to be dead that Naseer requests, rather pleads Padma to stay back with him. He also proposes to make arrangements for her job at the hospital where he works. But Padma disagrees and leaves with her son (who is Naseer's son and not Ganesh's). The viewers are left with sympathy for Naseer as he loses both Padma and his son.

3. Deb Das (Jomer Raja Dilo Bor)

A mix of romance and the supernatural, Jomer Raja Dilo Bor is the story of Ria Banerjee (Payel Sarkar) and Deb Das (Abir Chatterjee). Ria is a misandrist to the extent that she goes on to write a book '1000 Reasons To Hate Men'. She believes that men only have a body and not a soul. Deb, on the other hand believes men and women shouldn't be viewed differently. While anatomical differences are obvious, the issue of gender equality should be thought about more seriously. Moreover, he respects Ria's passion for writing and believes that she would soon become the best selling author, post which she could give up her job at the IT company. He also offers to bear the entire expenses of the household so that she could pursue her passion.

Due to unfortunate turn of events, Deb dies by suicide on the night of his wedding but the story takes off when his apparition returns to Ria. In the course of the movie, the two of them come closer and Deb transforms Ria into a romantic and understanding woman. Deb would make a progressive boyfriend because he understands equality in the true sense of the term, respects the opinions of others and realises where he went wrong on the wedding night.

4. Kushal (Bastu Shaap)

Kushal (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) arrives at Arjun's house to examine its vaastu. There he meets Bonya (Raima Sen), Arjun's wife who recognises him. He had met her years ago when his wife and Arjun were admitted in the same hospital. Bonya is worried that Arjun is no longer attracted to her and requests Kushal to restore normalcy between them. Before he leaves, he takes away the painting titled 'The Lotus' from their house as he believes it to be a shaap, a snake or curse that had to be removed for the inmates to live peacefully. The painting was, in reality a portrait of his own palm made by his wife who died while in the hospital. Arjun confesses to Kushal that he overheard a momentary intimate conversation between him and Bonya which made him realise how much he loves his wife.

Since Antara, Arjun's older sister lost her husband and only child in an accident, she is obsessed with Bonya and Arjun's son. Kushal offers to take her to an NGO, where she could take care under-priviledged children and fulfill her need to be a mother. In this way, he helps in narrowing the gap between Bonya and Arjun and bringing about normalcy in their lives. Despite being in love with Bonya, he prioritised her reunion with Arjun.

5. Ananda Kar (Hemlock Society)

The list would remain incomplete without Ananda Kar (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) from Hemlock Society. He teaches the importance of life to Meghna (Koel Mallick), a young woman who wants to finish herself. Being a patient of Lymphocytopenia, he understands the value of life and that those who want to put an end to it aren't doing the right thing. In the garb of providing training to kill oneself, Hemlock society actually teaches suicide aspirants that it is not a solution. Ananda aims at healing Meghna by making her realise that she is at a much better position in life than many others. Meghna's love for Ananda gives a new meaning to her life. She changes her mind and decides to live. Ananda's amusing remarks and jolly on-screen presence make the viewers want to see more and more of him.

Just as an equal partner would do, he cures Meghna of the thought of dying by suicide. He makes her aware that no reason can be so big as that could impel her to take away her own life. Don't we sometimes need that one person who would point out our follies and show us the right path? Ananda came into Meghna's life as that one person and changed her for good.

These male characters are not just fit to become a progressive boyfriend but also change the traditional image of men that we have created in our mind. They aren't violent or possessive but real.

The views expressed are the author's own.