Toxic Masculinity Archives

Looking for a Sushil, Sanskari, Non-Toxic Bollywood Hero

Hindi cinema hasn’t completely disregarded the need for healthy male leads. Toxic protagonists are still seen as rule breakers – as underdogs who can win against the system and evoke sympathy. But a handful of films, like Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, October, and even Muqaddar Ka Sikandar have tried to change that.

Sayantan Mondal July 17, 2016

Pop Culture

Why is Arjun Reddy Getting a Bollywood Remake?

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Arjun Reddy – arguably the most polarising Telugu film in recent times – is not without its problems. It has managed to sustain the attention and outrage of audiences across the country. Even in 2019, people just can’t seem to stop talking about Arjun Reddy. And that’s why we have Kabir Singh releasing tomorrow.

Poulomi Das July 15, 2016

Culture

Raksha Bandhan in Co-Ed Schools: An Enforced Ritual for Involuntary Bro-Zoning

Raksha Bandhan remains a painful memory for many of us because of the involuntary “bro zoning” that went on in co-ed schools. Teachers would ensure that girls tied rakhis on the wrists of their male classmates, rendering any other relationship between them illicit.

Jackie Thakkar July 15, 2016

Pop Culture

How to Sing Your Way to Manhood

“Galti Se Mistake” from Jagga Jasoos is the latest in a tradition of Hindi film songs that celebrate men coming of age.

Damini Kulkarni July 12, 2016

Pop Culture

Les Misérables Review: A Searing Portrait of the Cyclical Nature of Violence in an Increasingly Divided World

Narrated as a slow-burn police procedural, Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables is a commentary on the pervasive, lingering stain of social injustice. The masterful filmmaking evokes the extent of powerlessness that the marginalised are forced to internalise.

Poulomi Das July 3, 2016

Gender

India’s Epidemic of Sex Crimes: Do Desi Fathers Ever Talk to their Sons About How to Treat Women?

The Indian father-and-son duo may share a drink together, but they almost certainly never arrive at a conversation about how to treat women. I, myself, cannot remember if my father, after he had had a quarrel with mom, ever came to tell me that I was not supposed to behave the same.

Manik Sharma July 2, 2016

Pop Culture

Pixar’s Purl and Why Women Should Not Have to Act Like Men To Succeed at Work

Pixar’s short film Purl is a commentary on bro culture that thrives at workplaces. It is a story that most working women today know all too well, where they devise ways to be “accepted” in offices often dominated by men. But why should women have to dress like men or crack crass jokes to fit in?

Sanjukta Bose June 30, 2016

Bollywood

Ranveer Singh: Making Femininity Manly Again

How many Indian men can so lightly embody the many contradictions of Ranveer Singh? In our determinedly binary society, his love of lehengas on anyone else might have garnered epithets of “sissy” or “hijra”. But then, as his infamous t-shirt once declared, Ranveer always makes one thing abundantly clear: he’s got no fucks to give.

Kahini Iyer June 15, 2016

Bollywood

What Kabir Singh Can Learn about Violent Men From Kumbalangi Nights

After the release of Kabir Singh, everyone had one question on their minds: Could movies really depict toxic masculinity without glorifying it? The answer lies in Kumbalangi Nights, a Malayalam film where toxic masculinity isn’t the hero, but is its villain.

Pranay Dewani May 21, 2016

Features

Dear Men’s Grooming Brands, When Will the Macho Ad Guy Finally Man Up?

There’s no way any woman on earth would respond well to the boorish, juvenile guys in most men’s grooming ads. So why do shampoo commercials and shaving cream ads insist on shoving the trope of the tiresome manchild down our throats?

Arré Bench May 9, 2016