Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham was the blockbuster of the new century. With a star-studded cast with Amitabh Bachan, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, and Kajol, it was a dream come true for most people. I was star-struck by all the dancing, cinematography, and exhilarating songs, such as "Bole Chudiyan", and "Say Shava Shava." However, rewatching it now makes me realize the problematic themes in the movie.
Fat Shaming
There was a lot of fat-shaming by Rahul for his younger brother Rohan. The scene enabled fat shaming as a norm and reduced Rohan's self-image to shambles. Moreover, it also propagated the fact that being fat leaves you undesirable
Criticism and Slut-Shaming of Pooja
There was constant slut-shaming of Pooja for his choice of dressing by his brother-in-law and her own sister. This portrayed that wearing a "backless dress" was slutty and should be shamed. This shows the stereotypical mindset of male audience to morally police women.
Yashraj's Concept of Parampara (Tradition)
Yashraj was very keen about finding a 'Sansakri' daughter-in-law for his son who would be able to follow the 'Parampara' of the Yashraj'family. however, his concept is flawed since he is seen dancing with dancers in a dance song without any shame to his traditions and ideaologies
Kissing Without Consent
Rahul and Rohan kissing Pooja and Anjali without any consent were very problematic. This scene meant enabling acts of intimacy without the other individual's consent, which can be considered borderline harassment. Moreover, Anjali is uncomfortable at the end of this scene which shows she was taken by surprise and did not approve of it.
Love it or hate it, there were a lot of problematic scenes in K3G. Way to go Karan Johar!