Bollywood and Stereotype

The youngsters, as we call them, are greatly influenced by the cinema culture. But, to very straightly ask, is cinema the right way to construct ideologies and form standards for your personal existence in society? It is not always that cinema wins to be true and gives us the right direction to walk on. It misleads and develops certain stereotypical notions in our normal life trend to change the way we think, behave and perform ourselves.

Hollywood and Bollywood have always been a stage that presents masterpieces of the trendiest trends existing in the world. There has been a constant presentation of stereotypical characters through the norms that are already pre-set in society. Be it gendered, religious, community, or caste - there is a stereotypical notion about every individual in this world. Movies are the video and audio representations to do so. Let us examine how stereotypes of the two genders are developed through movies and cinematic culture.

1. THE WOMEN : 

• ABLA NAARI - “भगवान  के लिए  मुझे छोड़ दो ”. It was according to the mindset of the audience that women were presented subjugated on the screen. This stereotypes women as powerless and protected by men.

• SANSKARI LADKI - Indian audiences have ideally fantasized one type of ladki for marriage- the sanskari ladki. The one who woke up early, sang bhajans, worshipped the husband and cooked for the family. The best example I can link is when in Cocktail, Saif Ali Khan picks the super-sanskari Meera, played by Diana Penty, after gallivanting with Deepika Padukone's free-spirited Veronica all along. Worse, when Veronica decides to try wooing the hero one final time in the end, she turns demure in salwar kameez, giving up her micromini image in an instant. Are these Sanskari Girls actually existent? 

• MOTHER - The older woman clad in a white saree, looking for her sons and able to give time to the family by sacrificing her dreams is the “Mere Paas Maa hai”. If one woman who worked outside the boundaries of the house, she is against the stereotype of a mother in the eyes of society.

• THE BAD GIRL- This girl defies the rules of the society. She goes to the club to party, is alcoholic, smokes cigarettes, and is a drug addict. As society calls, she is a “slut” and attracts boys by wearing short clothes, skirts and cocktail dresses. Veronica (Deepika Padukone in Cocktail) is one such example. Hating and avoiding women who do such things has become an attributable thing to society.

• Women shown as hairless and all groomed up in an apocalyptic wasteland or classical movies. “Kyon Ki agar ladki sundar na ho toh uski shadi hona impossible hai.” How can women be waxed in the middle of a sea or a dessert land?

• Anytime women vomit in the movie, it is a cliche indication of pregnancy- there is no possibility of jaundice or cholera. 

• Girls with straight hair are considered beautiful and attractive and are always the victims of eve-teasing. “Kyon ki agar khoobsurat ladki ko na chedo toh uski bezzati hoti hai.”

There are many cliches shown in movies which build notions about women in our mind. The truth may, however, be different and a saree clad woman might be a vamp and the one with the short dress is  a civilised girl but has an open-minded attitude. These movie cliches make a permanent image in the minds of audiences and are a basis of judgement in the society. What we need to think is, do our actual women match with these stereotypes? Do your mothers wear white sarees and act as the most dejected women? Are women actually unprotected or are they actually not living life their own way? They are not less ‘pativarta’ if they go out have shots and be the “man” (again stereotyping) in a relationship. I know, you have answers to all these questions and I am leaving them open-ended and as an audience, I need you to think upon it. 

2. THE MEN: 

• THE STRONG SILENT TYPE - Focusing on being the incharge and  acting decisively, containing emotion are all what is shown in the movies. How men do not speak out and conceal emotions, act as heads of family is the common stereotype of men. This stereotype forms a notion about how men should not puke out emotions and how they should be considered weak if they are over-emotional. “Mujhse expect karna ki main kamm bolunga kyuki main strong aur silent hu.”

• THE BIG SHOT - The professionally strong man who has got all that world values, the spendthrift, extravagant man generally having grave looks and solving complex business cases. This stereotypes men to be economically powerful and financially supportive to family. “Kyon ki agar tu paise ke peeche bhaage ga toh ladki tere peeche bhaage gi.”

• THE UNSUITABLE - This man is economically weak, emotionally expressive and effeminate in manners of walking and talking. The homemaker man played by Arjun Kapoor in “Ki and Ka” can be linked to this stereotype. He will always be mocked at and cannot exist in society peacefully. “Agar main khana banata hu aur biwi par dependent hu toph isme kya galat hai? Main MARD toh tab bhi hu na.”

• THE ‘MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA’ MAN - They are portrayed as strong, zealous and powerful creatures who not at all feel pain, either pricked or shot by gun. They are ought to be considered as zombies who won’t die with one dagger struck in them and will continue to fight for the cause. This stereotypes men as apt for army recruitments and are always considered the “protective” one and not the “protected” one. 

• THE STUD - “Apna impression Macho de!” You might have seen a man encouraged to step out of his loyalty and go out to behave pervert. Jisne 4 ladkion ke saath sex krlia, vo stud hai aur super cool hai. This stereotypes men as perverts who prioritize sex over serious relationships.

• THE MACHO MAN - The one who smokes, is a gym freak, is an alcoholic and uses cuss words, does domestic violence, masturbates very often and asks out girls openly is the “MARD”. Faizal Khan, in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, “Tumhari yaad mein humara haath dukh gya hai.”; “Hum apke saath sex karna chahte hain.”

Do men really want to act stud or put on a mask to conceal what they actually feel? They are as oppressed by patriarchal norms as women. Why can not a woman marry a financially weak man and support him? Do not men have skin and organs which do not get hurt? Why do they have to be strong and powerful? Can they not be protected? Do they have to be serious looking and not effeminate and shy? Why not? They can be the one they choose to be.

Bollywood has made permanent cliche images in people’s mind, which if contradicted, are wrong. It has set standards and attributed a group of words to each gender which we consider are true and always have to be true. “Lakshman Rekha nahi laangni hai.”