Jab We Met and Subtle Misogyny
A favorite among fans is Jab We Met. I myself have watched the movie at least ten times, and I've always longed for my Geet moment. I really enjoy the film because Kareena Kapoor's Geet is shown as being a strong, self-assured woman. A confident girl who isn't afraid to succeed. But because of this course, I now watch media with a highly critical eye, which has made it easier for me to see the problematic elements in movies and shows. Therefore, I want to look into the subtle misogyny present in this movie.
Geet and Aditya, who met on a train, are the focus of the film. Geet is a beautiful carefree woman who adores Anushman and is ecstatic to marry him. Aditya, on the other hand, is unhappy because his relationship with his girlfriend ended. To cut a long tale short, Aditya causes Geet to miss her train, leaving her stranded at the station by herself at midnight.
She walks to the station master at this point to inquire about the arrival time of the next train, at which point he begins making remarks about how risky it is for her to be by herself at the station since "Larki aik khuli tejori ki tarhan hoti hai."
Even though Geet is self-assured, she is terrified, and rather than making her feel comfortable, the station master makes her afraid because if a woman is alone, it can only mean one thing, right?
Men think in this way which is why women experience anxiety as soon as they leave their homes. Even the men who were standing in front of the station master's office kept entering and gazing at Geet. The master could have stopped them, but he chose to let them go on.
It's vital to understand that millions of people across the world watch these disturbing sequences. Though I’m aware that these scenes are added to movies for drama and spice, it’s important to know that media has an impact on every decision we make, thus it is crucial to create films that reflect the ideal society. Because of the many problems in our culture, women have safety issues everywhere they go. Making movies that advocate for women's safety might have a positive influence on how we think.
We cannot advance if all men have the belief that "Larki aik khuli tejori hai." Some women likewise think in a similar manner as men. For instance, Geet met her grandfather when she and Aditya arrived at their house. She employs the same argument the station master used against her to persuade him to let Aditya stay.
All of us have experienced hearing our parents make sexist remarks such, "Your brother can study abroad, but you can't because it's unsafe." If we advocate for women's safety in movies, it will also affect circumstances in real life.
What is your guys’ take on this?