Misogyny Not A Source Of Entertainment; Artists Must Question Reality

Animal movie reviews have come in and they are openly pointing out its misogynistic nature. While few people have found it entertaining, others have found it excessively violent and regressive towards women. Amidst this, the actors and director of the movie are also coming forward to defend their content. In the most recent interview, Saloni Batra, the reel sister of Ranbir Kapoor, has come in support of the movie. Although she has questioned the misogyny in the movie, she said, "As an audience, it is our responsibility to watch and decide what is right and wrong."

In the interview, Batra openly pointed out that the behaviour of Kapoor's character in Animal is toxic. She said, "As a woman, I would be offended if someone in real life did that to me." However, she further added that such men exist. She said, "It is your responsibility as an audience that you don’t take it home. You came to the theatre and were entertained. And that is the job of cinema. You don’t have to learn from it. You don’t have to take it back home and tell people that it’s ok to say such things to women..."

Entertainment or activism: How do we draw the difference?

While I do agree that the kind of man that Ranbir Kapoor depicts in the movie exists in real life. Some men do look down upon women, dominate them and manipulate them. But my question is how should we draw the difference between a movie being a source of entertainment or activism? Doesn't the same Bollywood create movies that question the same misogyny portrayed in Animal? How should the audience know whether this is what they should learn or ignore? 

Artists are directly connected with the society. Their works directly speak to the common people and affect their thought processes. So, I believe, artists have the responsibility to mould society in a better way. Maybe ground-level activism is not necessary but questioning the wrong is a must. 

Portray reality, but also question the wrong

If an artist wants to portray reality the way it is, the replica should include ways in which the wrong is questioned. Maybe through outright questions, suggested changes or sly remarks on how wrongly it is affecting society, writers must bring the evils under the spotlight and question them. They cannot use misogyny or any other evil merely as a source of entertainment. These issues are meant to be questioned and not be made jokes out of them. That's exactly how our society is also trying to brush such issues under the carpet.

By creating husband-wife jokes, for example, society tries to normalise the sexism within that relationship. Similarly, by just using misogyny as a means of entertainment, film directors and actors cannot fan the misconceptions rooted in the minds of the audience. 

Dominating women, cheating on wives or downplaying period problems are far from being sources of entertainment. If they induce laughter, then there is a serious mess brewing in the minds of the people. Artists are responsible for making people question and stop that.  

Views expressed are the author's own.