The Year of the Man, Again

In 2018, India and the Hindi film industry underwent their #MeToo Movement. Starting with actress Tanushree Dutta's accusation of sexual harassment against actor Nana Patekar, several women came forward with their stories of sexual harassment and assault. Though these high-profile discussions resulted in some action, such as director Sajid Khan being forced to step down from Housefull 4 (Farhad Samji 2019) and a topical fictional account with the film Section 375 (Ajay Bahl 2019), the spotlight on gender inequality and violence resulted in neither immediate nor powerful change. A large part of the industry quickly moved away from these conversations, as exhibited by the productions that came out in their wake. The fifteen highest-grossing Indian releases the following year were all dominated by one or more male protagonists and, with the exception of Mission Mangal (Jagan Shakti), which had an all-star female cast alongside superstar Akshay Kumar, provided sparse glimpses into the lives and experiences of the female protagonists. Reflections on shifting perceptions of men and masculinity, central to the #MeToo Movement, were also limited as many of the action and comedy hits of 2019 provided little space for introspection. Among these films, the dramas Gully Boy (Zoya Akhtar) and Kabir Singh (Sandeep Reddy Vanga) stand out as cases that, through the distinct struggles of their male protagonists, highlight some of the greater gender discussion and conflicts of the time.

The differences between the two expose the multiple issues at stake as a new generation struggles to define not only their identity but their masculinity. Gully Boy's Murad (Ranveer Singh) is poor and Muslim, left out of his country’s economic growth and Hindu-dominated politics. His demure manner reflects his ostracised position, and he struggles to reconcile his dreams with his nation's and family's expectations. Kabir Singh's Kabir (Shahid Kapoor) is rich, smart and privileged in every way. He is not only driven by but easily acts on his emotions and desires, able to evade consequences either through his own charm or his family's financial and legal intervention. Murad must learn to find his voice through his personal journey. Kabir must learn to tame his voice but has no desire to do so – he knows exactly what he wants and violently pursues his desires, physically and emotionally abusing those he loves and himself to follow his whims.