the new-age myth-busting love story
Myths of Conventional External Beauty:
This is an obvious one — the highlight of the movie was the fat girl, who was still lovable. It is a sad reality of the world that good looks are defined by pre-conceived notions about a person's skin color, weight, body shape, height, etc. How powerful is this myth of external beauty that we can’t seem to look past it and actually focus on internal beauty, which is, in fact, all that matters. You can’t get turned on by a person’s intellect, kindness, sincerity, and passion? External beauty will come and go, but your inner soul will remain the same.
Myths of Narrow Compatibility Criteria:
A doctor should marry a doctor, an overweight person another overweight person, and a disabled person another disabled person. It’s not a match made in heaven, it’s matching by societal standards. There’s nothing wrong with people coming close because of commonalities, but people should not be limited to one label assigned to them by society. You’re a multifaceted person, don't forget your other identities. Also, your partner doesn’t have to share that identity to understand or worse, ‘accept’ you. Love isn’t a bargain or a compromise. You don’t settle for your life partner, you cherish, celebrate, and bring out the best in each other. Respect yourself, & always question labels.
Myths of the Achi Bahu, Wife, and Lover:
We don’t have the stereotypical dumb, helpless girl or a superwoman. She’s strong, yet vulnerable. She can slap someone for disrespecting her (though I don’t agree with physical violence!), and also, cry when she’s hurt. She has self-respect, but no ego. She’s practical enough to seek a divorce in a faulty marriage, but is also, reflective and soft-hearted to tell her partner, “mujhe rok lo”. She’s independent, understanding, and vulnerable. She respects everyone, but appeases no one. She speaks her mind, is self-respecting, and honest! She’s supportive, not as a cheerleader, but as an equal burden-bearing partner, literally and figuratively when pulls her partner out of a ditch.
Myths of Toxic Male Perfection and Indestructibility
Yes, the guy is physically strong (a common male stereotype), but that’s pretty much it. Even though he is ironically named Prem, the quintessential aagyakari beta brand in Sooraj Barjataya movies, he is an innocently and realistically flawed character, and his short-comings are not concealed. He disses his wife for her looks, is deeply insecure about her qualifications, and doesn’t pretend to like what she cooks — in fact, he doesn’t pretend anything. He is as honest as they come. He even tries to kill them, giving us a window into male vulnerability and shortcomings. After all, they are humans too. Thank you for giving us a break from the quintessential ‘hero’.
Myths of a Loving Relationship:
Theirs wasn’t a love of first-sight, they were united (unsuccessfully) first by their families, and fought like cats and dogs! But then their honesty, compassion, and care brought them together again for real. Thank you for giving us a close-to-real-life honest love story! This movie shows intimacy at its best — not in the bedroom, but the characters are completely naked with each other, confessing internal thoughts, insecurities, and even misperceptions about marriage. No over-dramatic fights, just two people sitting by the water and talking unselfishly with each other, expecting nothing from that conversation, except for talking their hearts out honestly.
This movie shows the triumph of the human spirit via resilience and honesty.
“jab kuch bacha hi nahi hai toh aik baar mann ki karke dekh le”
Thank you, Ayushman Khurana and Bhopi Pednekar for playing these characters, and to YRF, for breaking the aforementioned myths.
