The first time I wondered about the autonomy of women was at a time when I did not know the meaning of the term ‘autonomy’. It popped up in my head when I was watching Tom and Jerry, a popular show in our early years. In one of the episodes, Tom and another cat try to woo a female cat and start to compete. No one asked her about her choice and I thought, “Why aren’t they asking her? That would solve all the problems.” Of course, the cartoon was made for fun viewing but at that time I wondered if I were the only one thinking this way.
Years later, I watched Koi Mil Gaya where Hrithik Roshan and a rival compete in a basketball match. They decide that whoever wins will get a kiss from Preity Zinta. Again I thought, why don’t they just ask her whom she wants to kiss?
Now, at the age of 24, I understand. It was men making these shows and movies and that is the level of respect they have for women’s choices.
Films have a long way to go in how they portray women. Movies such as Kabir Singh or Animal have a target audience. Some may say such films are only made for entertainment but no one can deny the fanbase the films have. These movies have protagonists who think it is okay to slap a woman. And some women are shown to consider this an expression of ‘love’. Things need to change. This is not OK.
amrashaasingh12@gmail.com
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