Chingsanghoih Guite / The Hauterfly
Chingsanghoih Guite / The Hauterfly
I know I’m probably going to be trolled or called a snob for this, but Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani does endorse a few stereotypes and problematic tropes that won’t fly today. For starters, in the film’s second half, Deepika Padukone really falls into the manic pixie dream girl archetype, because she makes the hero arrive at a realisation that life is much more than what he currently thinks it is. Then, of course, there’s also the fact that Bunny doesn’t even try to maintain contact with his friends and then gets pissed at them because they need a moment to rekindle the same passion for their friendship. But the one thing that always bugged me about YJHD was the ending. It didn’t make sense to me, because the real problem in Naina and Bunny’s relationship never did get solved did it?
Then after making this big speech about how he wants to see the world but with Naina by his side, they proceed to live their happily ever after.
the romanticisation of this movie really gets to me pic.twitter.com/8Slooqytb7
— Shreemi Verma (@shreemiverma) December 17, 2020
Naina is asking the right questions which one needs to discuss with their future spouse, lest there be issues in the marriage later that breed resentment. But apna wanderlusting hero Bunny is avoiding the whole thing and is all about, “Dekh lenge na baad mein.” Which, can I just say, is so Bunny, because his personality in the whole film has been to just ‘wing it’.
Dekho behen, problem ye hai that Naina still has her clinic and her patients that she cannot leave. Bunny will not not want to travel. Ultimately, the practical thing will be for one of them to lower their lofty ambitions a little. So either Naina will have to drop her clinic and find something else to do so she can travel around with Bunny. Or Bunny will have to take up the job of a local tour guide or something. Or they just keep doing their respective things, but are married, and have someone to come home to, whether it is coming home from a 9-5 job at the clinic or a three-month travel show in Europe.
But wasn’t that the problem in their relationship in the first place? Nothing gets solved, or discussed! I have a strong feeling that when they actually sit down to work out the details, they’re going to have a major issue!
Of course, this isn’t the only problem with YJHD. The fact that it once again takes a girl, with a makeover, to make a guy ‘realise’ something. Or the fact that the moment he realises he loves her, he turns into this Kabir Singh version of toxic lover and dispatches Naina’s friend rudely for simply sitting and talking to her…. Seriously, Naina? You want to be with this dude? Bunny doesn’t deserve you! You didn’t wait for him before, and you shouldn’t fall for his act now. Because if he doesn’t get his way, he’s going to be so bitter about it eventually, it’s going to ruin all the things you loved about him.
Moreover, the point is not that YJHD came up with this stereotype, but that the fans overhyped the whole thing and romanticised it to the point of nausea!
A lot of people agreed with her.
They identified the stereotype "manic pixie dreamgirl" in 2000 and they still made her one 2 decades later. Ranbir Kapoor is boring af.
— out of context aditi mittal (@awryaditi) December 17, 2020
I swear they should have just ended with Naina being happy on her own as she clearly was. This Rachel Ross thing has always been shit haha
— Aditya Deshpande (@adideshpande27) December 17, 2020
Ngl, I used to love this movie. Then I came to my senses. Love the music still but I am done with "naina daudna chahta hu rukna nhi chahta" bullshit. Subtle manic pixie + likeable fuckboi vibes
— Disgruntled Pelican 🏳️🌈 (@ThisisLLN) December 17, 2020
This movie is so problematic. He comes back on a whim because he's feeling emotionally overwhelmed, proposes marriage. They've barely spent any time together and he clearly will run away again!
This is a doomed relationship.— Riddhiculous (@RiddhiAswani) December 17, 2020
Omg SO MANY crap things in it. The specs-off-toh-hot trope. Deepike wearing a fucking miniskirt while hiking in winter. And the endless man-childgiri of Ranbir Kapoor.
— Vedashree Khambete-Sharma (@theotherveda) December 17, 2020
the ending is so alarming cause you are like nooooo dont date him sis like signing up for god knows how long of gaslighting and fcukboi max behavior you have your clinic focus on that
— Edgar Allan Poeha (@vaniIlaessence) December 17, 2020
However, pretty soon, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone fans began storming the girl’s Twitter and trolling her. I don’t understand how abusing someone is going to make them see your side of the story, but!
Okay Ranbir Kapoor stans stop flooding my fucking Instagram and Facebook, especially with posts that have my mom in it. Ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/teZwPCpX2j
— Shreemi Verma (@shreemiverma) December 18, 2020
Guys! Guys! GUYS! She is right, though! YJHD does have problematic tropes that are very typically Bollywood but just packaged in a very good-looking, millennial hyping packet! But you know something? It’s really possible to like the film, enjoy the film and still call it out for being problematic.
the movie is okay imo it's the fans who make it sound like a great love story which is just eh
— Shreemi Verma (@shreemiverma) December 17, 2020
I know how stereotypical rom-coms are toward women, but I still enjoy watching them. What I don’t do is hype them up, put them on a pedestal and proclaim them as the greatest film of all time. Or try and emulate / aspire to that kind of a relationship in my life. Because, girl, no. Open your naina and see your Bunny for the toxic dude he is.
Throwback Thursday: Men Treat Women Like Objects That They Own And This Has Been A Bollywood Staple
