When Laapataa Ladies made waves, reaching an incredible milestone of 13.8 million views and surpassing the global blockbuster Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, on the OTT platform, it marked a significant moment. The success was celebrated as a testament to empowering storytelling, showing that impactful content can truly triumph. Laapataa Ladies is now India's official entry to the Oscars. The Film Federation of India selected the movie as the official entry for the Best Foreign Film Category at the 97th Academy Awards.
Stree 2 Is Now The Highest Grossing Hindi Film In India
Now, there’s even more to celebrate. Stree 2 has been officially declared the "number one Hindi film of all time" in India. The filmmakers shared the exciting news on X and Instagram on Wednesday, September 18, posting a celebratory poster and a heartfelt note.
The movie has surpassed the lifetime Hindi earnings of Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan, collecting a massive ₹586 crore at the Indian box office. For comparison, Jawan's lifetime Hindi earnings stand at ₹582.31 crore, according to trade sources.
With its strong box office performance and love from the audience, Stree 2 has cemented itself as a record-breaking hit, proving that the magic of storytelling continues to captivate hearts and dominate the charts. If you haven’t had the chance to watch Stree 2 yet, you're missing out on a film that subtly and powerfully critiques the deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes that persist in society.
A Tale Exploring Women’s Agency and Gender Roles Through a Supernatural Lens
The story challenges the mindset that views women’s freedom, whether in their choice of clothes, education, career, or simply having a voice, as a threat. These regressive beliefs frame modern-day women’s aspirations and independence as a "sankat" (crisis) caused by modernisation. The storytelling includes the supernatural force, Sarkata, a ghostly entity that haunts men by awakening them from this “sankat” to bring back these modern women to the confines of traditional roles, ones that expect them to stay indoors, serve their husbands, and even refrain them from having a voice or identity of their own.
Through humour, drama, and the supernatural, the film highlights how these outdated beliefs are still alive and dangerous. What makes Stree 2 so impactful is the way it brings these issues to the forefront without being overly preachy. Instead, it uses a mix of comic relief and dramatic moments to make viewers question their own assumptions about gender roles. It’s a fresh take on the age-old battle for women's agency and autonomy, encouraging the audience to rethink the limitations imposed on women by society.
Earlier, Laapata Ladies became a classic example of the power of content that strikes a chord with audiences on a deeply personal level. Unlike Animal, which is based on themes of female oppression, toxic masculinity, and unrestrained violence, Laapataa Ladies offers a refreshing departure, presenting a heart-touching story of two women in a small village making their way into the big-bad world after being exchanged during a train ride to their husband's homes, urging viewers to reflect on the values that truly matter in life.
Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga was released in cinemas on December 1, 2023, and was later released on Netflix on January 26, 2024. In contrast, Laapataa Ladies premiered on Netflix on April 26 and managed to accumulate those views in just 30 days, whereas Animal took around four months to achieve the same number of viewership.
While Animal had a star-studded cast and substantial financial backing, it was Laapataa Ladies, a modestly estimated rural dramedy that came out triumphant, proving not only a shift in audience preferences but also the importance of the ability to tell stories that matter in everyday life and thematic connection in tugging viewers' hearts and minds.
Beyond the viewership milestones, Laapataa Ladies goes beyond the periphery of digital metrics. Led by a stellar cast featuring Ravi Kishan, Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Nitanshi Goel, who breathes life into the story and makes you reflect on the societal dynamics, forcing you deeper into the complexities of human relationships, identity, and the power of truth in a world riddled with stereotypes and patriarchy.
The Triumph of Quality Over Spectacle
While Bollywood has produced many memorable heroes, the portrayal of masculinity (toxic) in many films, such as Animal, has frequently come under fire for promoting toxic ideals of machismo and aggression, in which male characters, whether protagonists or antagonists, exhibit traits of possessiveness, entitlement, and violence against women, blurring the lines between reel and reality.
However, Laapata Ladies presents an entirely fresh viewpoint in which these women do not require a man to be saved. After getting lost, the character Phool (Nitanshi Goel) works at a tea stall and learns the value of being financially independent through her work and decides to pursue it after reuniting with her husband, whereas Jaya (Pratibha Rantta) works tirelessly towards her dream of getting an education in agricultural farming while steering clear of her abusive husband and secretly supporting Deepak (Phool's husband) in finding his wife.
Phool represents Indian femininity in all of its grandeur. When everyone else has lost faith, she remains convinced that her husband is going to find her, despite all the risks. Jaya, on the other hand, is ambitious but has an uncluttered mind and has an inspiring impression on everyone she meets. Later, when these women come together towards the end of the movie, Phool acknowledges Jaya for helping her reunite with her husband, while Jaya thanks her for helping her discover herself.
Another problematic subject in Bollywood is its portrayal of violence, especially in romantic relationships. Male characters are often portrayed as possessive and dominating, with their violent behaviour towards women romanticised rather than criticised. Animal too with its characters, glorified cheating, abuse, toxicity within relationships, disrespect, patriarchy, and violence within its premise, where it's deemed acceptable for a man to compliment a woman based on her pelvic size, insinuating her ability to 'accommodate healthy babies.'
In contrast, Deepak, the main protagonist in the film Laapata Ladies, searches for his wife throughout the film, hoping she is safe wherever she is. He blames himself for bringing home the wrong bride after a long boat, train, and bus journey because she was wearing a veil and all of the newlyweds looked the same in their red bridal attire. The film portrays not only the power of true love but also the stages of growth of the female characters.
Phool's journey is complete, beginning with her refusal to reveal to the station master her husband's name and concluding with her bold call out of his name, as she recalls Manju Mai (Chhaya Kadam) teaching her that her name is part of her identity and that she should take her husband's name. The ending scene, in which Deepak ultimately meets his bride after she cries out his name, brilliantly portrays the value of names, identity, and the joy of finding love.
Why Kiran Rao's "Laapataa Ladies" Outperforming Sandeep Reddy Vanga's "Animal is a Stand Against Misogyny
This triumph not only highlights the power of storytelling and content over misplaced morality that often glorifies societal evils such as patriarchy, misogyny, and toxic masculinity but also highlights the emotional sensibilities of audiences, which are increasingly appreciating and seeking out stories that resonate with deeper Indian values and place the notion of bringing all gender together at the forefront.
Views expressed by the author are their own.
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