Both ends of the ‘bad boy’ spectrum in Hindi cinema

Bad boy is a good metaphor. A compelling, hermetic interpretation of a cliché that resonates across genders, this book addresses the absurd justifications of impunity by horrible men and how women become moral harbingers. It is an edited commentary on the sexist impositions that must be made. This patriarchal context may be thwarted by its paradoxical currents—and our pop culture has no choice but to decide whether it’s about female agency or female conformity. There are certainly plenty of stories that oscillate between them — but even then, it’s hard not to fall into a puddle when faced with a problem.From Varun (Ranveer Singh) Loutera (2013) or Jordan aka Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir Kapoor) rock star (2011). These two heroes, although distinctly different in their tone of masculinity, are cut from the same patriarchal cloth. Varun is probably just one substandard lecture and a few concerts away from Jordan about her one heartbreak.

Varun willingly admits to the law enforcement agencies waiting outside Pakhi’s (Sonakshi Sinha) residence in Darjeeling that he will eventually be fatally injured. Loutera; And when Imtiaz Ali’s Jordan came rock star (2011) exposes himself to dire conditions in a European country in a self-sadistic attempt to punish himself, and a disappointed Uchiji rears his wrinkled head.it’s a tragedy of evil male Boys in pursuit of notoriety only to a large extent displace the context of their pursuit, the repercussions of which are only realized after the near chance of romantic love has been lost.

Wrath of Jordan/Janardan

rock star The film was a semi-hit and cemented Kapoor’s status as an artist who takes his art seriously. Its protagonist is a man who uncritically aspires to the unique greatness of his music. In a biting cliché, Janardhan is suggested by his mentor and friend to pursue heartbreak in order to use that suffering to test the authenticity of the art he produces. A brief fling with a girl named Heer (Nargis Fakhri) causes Jordan to become self-destructive. By carving out a singular space for himself as a musical artist (at this point he becomes “Jordan”), he brought upon himself the cruel charge of recluse. Suspended in the toxic temptations and pulls of heartbreak and notoriety, he can only forge a fractured relationship with a world where his resentment explodes to the surface.

When Jordan communicates with Heer, he feels relieved for a moment. It fits perfectly into the trope of the villain finding redemption in romance. However, in a cruel twist, Heer dies after becoming pregnant as a result of the coupling. We know of the cynical series of montages of Jordan’s concerts after Heer’s death. He is driven into dire straits by his own ambitions, and his bad-boy persona is dystopianly incorporated into his “brand” as a star.

Jordan indiscriminately shouts at security guards guarding concert venues, fans who ignore boundaries, and past friends who want to take pictures with him just because they’re famous. Along with a barrage of accused men at the concert, Jordan crescendos about general anxieties about institutional structures, and the lyrics resonate enthusiastically (to climate change activists who don’t see Jordan as part of nature). (also includes criticism). Jordan became violent with the paparazzi, further exacerbating his fame and alienation.

LouteraA plain bad boy

Varunin Loutera, a commercial flop but a cult favorite, provides a calming contrast to this indiscriminate, raging testosterone energy. The film depicts the story of a con artist and his colleagues who invade the haveli of a landlord’s (Barun Chanda) house to steal valuable artefacts. During this long play, Varun becomes romantically involved with the landlord’s daughter Pakhi, but ultimately betrays both Pakhi and her father, who carried out the original plan. Later in the film, he is on the run from the police but ends up stranded again on the doorstep of the chronically ill Pakhi’s house in Darjeeling. After accidentally killing his colleague while surrounded by law officers, and also learning that Pakhi’s father died of a heart attack – Varun’s insinuations of betrayal have a disproportionate effect on the older man. – Varun surrenders to the police. In the final scene, a bullet hits him in the chest and he falls to his knees.

Varun presents a more sober conception of the bad boy. He suppresses suspicious activity and calculates to disperse the gaze towards the haveli he is about to plunder. His voice was just above the appropriate decibel level. He tells Pakhi that everyone else in his life, except for her, only takes advantage of him (he uses the word “istemal”), but that his worth is his own usefulness. It was his and Pakhi’s romantic dynamic that made it feel like it was coming from a place beyond. Varun melancholy surrenders to the limits of his love for his father and the woman who lost part of her fortune to him, and the softer, more atmospheric ballads appeal to those inner feelings. He then berates her former lover Pakhi for her inability to understand the underlying dissonance of her own actions.

anger and nuance

While they don’t portray their anger equally, there is a notable contrast between Varun’s outburst and Jordan’s. The latter borders on dangerous grade and is always on the verge of spillage. It is lavishly imposed on those who have never been privy to his inner self, and is childishly turned out to the world rather than taken as an invitation to explore the self more closely. Meanwhile, Varun carries sadness and guilt in his heart. You could say he’s the anti-Jordan.

Jordan can’t stop his anger, and there’s something right next to his nose. Kabir Singh and Arjun Reddy region. These men, some grayer than others, are carved into an ecosystem that dangerously divulges the extent to which they enjoy impunity. V. Giesa, seminal 2013 Economic and political weekly magazine An essay on the issue of impunity writes: “There is a complicity here, which is about shared unjust power in society, but also about our shared hatred and contempt for marginalized people. For example, the state and its citizens. By society.”

How these filmmakers approach the trope of this bad guy finding redemption in love at least hints at the commitment to responsibility they imagine for these men. Helpful. Motwane’s focus is clearly on internalizing the consequences of delinquency and taking a self-punishing approach. Ali’s interest is not in imagining responsibility, but in denouncing the tragedy of celebrities reduced to gold-spinning commodities. The various agency variations are negotiated between Pakhi and Heer. In both romances, half of the couple dies, but the bittersweet hopeful elation applies only to one of them.