Every Women’s Day, Bollywood remains central to discussions on feminism and misogyny, both with regard to its regressive treatment of women and its few strong female characters that broke the mould. This time, however, let’s flip the coin and look at a less conspicuous facet: feminist male characters in Hindi cinema.
In the second decade of the millennium, a surge of enlightened male characters has decisively challenged the earlier patriarchal prototype: Pink’s Deepak Sehgal, Bareilly Ki Barfi’s Narottam Mishra, Tumhari Sulu’s Ashok Dube and Piku’s Bhaskar Banerjee to name only four. This list, however, will give woke Bollywood a miss and look mostly at male characters who may not have been overtly or politically feminist but were sensitive and progressive at a time when male sensitivity and progressiveness on screen was a needle in a haystack. Here goes in no particular order:
Guru Dutt as Vijay
in Pyaasa (1957)
Vijay the poet commands a special place as one of the earliest male feminists of Hindi cinema. His respect and affection for streetwalker Gulabo springs from his larger anguish at the double standards of men and the atrocities heaped by them on women in the sex trade. Abrar Alvi’s writing and Guru Dutt’s gentle persona give the role its shine, while a good part of its feminist strength comes from the lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi (indeed, there is some speculation that Vijay is partly based on Sahir himself). The hard-hitting ‘Jinhe naaz hai Hind par woh kahan hai’ in particular, sung by an inebriated Vijay in the red-light area, embodies the poet’s core ideology in the film.
Dev Anand as Raju
in Guide (1965)
Vijay Anand’s film negotiated the tricky path of adultery without being judgmental and, incredibly enough, succeeded with a 1960s’ audience (Waheeda Rehman’s persona and the immense dignity she lent the character must surely have had something to do with this). Guide’s protagonist Raju, for all his street-smartness and slight deviousness, understands the pain of a neglected woman who’s thrown away her life and talent for a husband who doesn’t care. Raju nurtures Rosie’s skills and stands by her even at the steep cost of alienating his friends and family.
Anupam Kher as B.V. Pradhan in Saaransh (1984)
B.V. Pradhan, a retired school headmaster, takes on the local goonda politician to protect his young paying guest who’s pregnant by the politician’s son. Without a trace of judgmentalism about the relationship outside marriage (it’s pertinent to remember that the film was made in 1984), he courageously stands up to the politician’s terrorising of his family and eventually thwarts his sinister designs. An exceptional character brought alive with an exceptional performance by Anupam Kher.
Kamal Haasan as 'Somu'
in Sadma (1983)
Schoolteacher Somprakash takes responsibility for a young, mentally challenged girl he comes across in a brothel and smuggles her out to his home in another city. That’s not new for Hindi cinema, which has several stories of the hero falling in love with or rescuing an innocent sold to a bordello; what is exceptional is the subsequent interaction between the two. The indulgent love showered by Somu on Reshmi is eye-moistening, whether it’s feeding her, combing her hair, putting her to sleep with a lullaby or even taking out his exasperation at her juvenility. Somu has to be the first hero in Hindi cinema who played mother to his heroine.
Sanjeev Kumar as Dr Amarnath Gill
in Mausam (1975)
An elderly doctor chances upon an aggressive, foul-mouthed prostitute who’s the spitting image of the village girl he’d met, romanced and lost during his student days. When he discovers that the resemblance is no coincidence and the sex worker is the daughter of his deceased sweetheart, he takes her to his home to give her a normal life, unheeding of the opprobrium and shock of people who believe he’s the sex worker’s client. A beautifully written character and a great performance by Sanjeev Kumar.
Shahid Kapoor as Aditya Kashyap
in Jab We Met (2007)
Come to think of it, Aditya Kashyap, with his brooding quiescence and innate decency, is a throwback to a much earlier era—I could imagine Guru Dutt doing just such a role opposite the effervescent Madhubala. After his initial irritation with the over-the-top Geet who’s run away from home to marry her boyfriend, Aditya indulgently goes along with her insane plans and takes her to her destination without letting on that he’s fallen in love with her. When she finally catches on, his response is utterly winsome, especially for a screen world that’s been peopled by far too many stalkers and entitled male characters: “Haan, main tujhe bahut pasand karta hoon par woh mera problem hai. Tujhe tension lene ki koi zaroorat nahin. (Yes, I like you but that’s my problem. You don't have to worry about it.)”
Ajay Devgn as Vanraj
in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Hindi cinema has seen many spin-offs of Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night, where the hero helps the heroine reach her boyfriend. But while the protagonist’s compulsion in the direct rip-offs of Capra’s comedy was merely to chase a newspaper story, Woh Saat Din, the direct precursor of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, had a more serious dilemma: a man faced with a wife who’s been forced into wedlock. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam goes a step further by making Vanraj actually smitten by the girl he marries; his devastation is thus greater, but he nevertheless collects himself and does the superhumanly noble thing of accompanying her abroad to find her lover.
Girish Karnad as Ghanshyam in Swami (1977)
Yet another screen husband who’s understanding of the not-misplaced anger of a wife married without her consent. Ghanshyam, a grain dealer, is nowhere in the intellectual-cultural league of Saudamini and her former boyfriend but displays immense patience in dealing with the situation; he staunchly defends her against his hostile family and even brings her back home when she ups and leaves to be with her lover. Swami stood out in the 1970s when regressive pati parmeshwar South Indian remakes ruled the mainstream; however, Basuda drew Saudamini’s laxman rekha at the railway station unlike Saratchandra Chatterjee’s story which had her spend a week with her lover before being accepted back.
Saif Ali Khan as Rohit Patel
in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
The amiable, chilled-out Rohit has to be one of the most loveable male characters in recent years. Nudged towards falling in love with Naina by the hyperkinetic Aman, he discovers that Naina is in love with Aman, not him, but covers his heartbreak with remarkable sangfroid and humour; subsequently, he marries her without a trace of insecurity or resentment though well aware that Naina will always love Aman more than him. Saif Ali Khan’s persona and sparkling performance goes a long way in making Rohit an unforgettable character.
Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan in
Chak De! India (2007)
Unlike all the Mr Nices mentioned so far, Kabir Khan is that rare feminist screen male who’s gruff and no-nonsense—but with a purpose. Taking a team of female hockey players under his wing, he manages their squabbles and ego conflicts ruthlessly and pushes them to their limits to achieve victory not only for their country but themselves as well. The film has few overtly feminist dialogues but this memorable one stands out: “Yeh mat sochna ki tumhara match in solah ladkon se hai. Tumhara match har us bewakoof ke saath hai jo bhool gaya hai ke agar ladkiyan use paida kar sakti hain to woh kuch bhi kar sakti hain! (Your match isn't against these 16 boys; it's against every idiot who's forgotten that if a woman can give birth to him, she can do anything!)”
