By Saumya Aggarwal

Abstract

The article discusses the evolution of male characters throughout the cinematic topography and how they influence the discourses in society. These characters eventually become the “ideal” man that the youth wants to ascribe and adopt. It also discusses the labels and definitions associated with masculinity, as depicted in cinema. 

Introduction 

The debates regarding representation of men and women never seem to leave out the crucial medium of Cinema. Cinema is the visual representation of a story plot, enacted by actors who bring the vision of the director and producer to life through camera, music and theatrics. 

These visuals play a pivotal role in reinforcing gender stereotypes and shaping narratives and perspectives of society. Sometimes they are also influenced by the notions prevalent in society. 

Representation of female characters – being a 2D character, an accessory to the male lead, a secondary plot – often overshadowed by the toxic masculinity portrayed in cinema that traps young men in that box. From the early “angry man” to the “new man”, the definition of the ideal man who conforms to the expectations and standards of society has changed numerous times. 

Evolution

The 1960s – 1990s saw the era of the “angry young men” wherein characteristics like anger, violence, power and the dark and handsome charm became hallmark characteristics of the ideal man. This man was heavily influenced by the independent status of India wherein hot-blooded and passionate energy was channeled to serve justice. More often than not, the incident channeling this passion was the victimization of their mother, spouse, or daughter. Thereby, admired and adopted as aspirational by the youth.

The late 20th century saw a transition to more relaxed roles, where the masculine trait shifted from violence to deception, where the cinema attempted to justify the black as white. For example, the lack of consent in the song ‘Tu Ha Kar Ya na Kar Tu Hai Meri Kiran’ in the movie Darr, where the nature of psychopathic stalker is glorified by the movie structure and narrative.

However, what remained unchanged was the role of the caregiver and the messiah throughout the eras, even in the present. This also reflects the structure of the society, where the bread earners are the men who are burdened by the responsibility of their mothers and wives in their families. The structural patriarchy, where the men had to be the head of the family, the decision makers, dominating and the pressure of success in all aspects of life, boxes the definition of masculinity to these roles where being emotional and vulnerable becomes a sin. It is hard to imagine masculinity without these characteristics and have become essential ingredients of an ideal man.

The “Modern” Man

The Cinematic topography also saw some beautifully written men who were comfortable in their own skin, outside of the myths and stereotypes, showcasing their weaknesses. There was a shift to a more realistic representation where the real was being shown in the reel. 

Jay Singh Rathore in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008) portrays a filial son to his single mother who does house chores, chooses non-aggression and displays so many emotions. This is a huge transition from the previous action themed era, where a “hero” was the ultimate messiah with his back seeming to be as tall and strong as a mountain. In 2011, a comedy film, Pyaar ka Punchnama directed by Luv Ranjam, shows the challenges faced by young men in love. It sparked conversations about the intricacies of contemporary relationships and the representation of masculine fragility, even if it had been attacked for its sexist overtones. Udta Punjab” (2016), directed by Abhishek Chaubey depicts the destructive impact of societal pressure on masculinity by featuring a troubled musician battling his inner demons and addiction. The movie brings reality to cinema by shattering the classic image of “the hero” and highlights a broken man as “the hero” of the film.

One actor that the article must discuss is Ayushman Khurana who has worked in some blockbuster films in mainstream cinema, breaking gender stereotypes and remodeling “the ideal man”.  Vicky Donor (2012) was made at a time when sperm donation was considered shameful. It explored the debate around IVF, sperm donation and the societal pressure of choosing an unconventional career.  In Dream Girl (2019), the main character worked as a woman in a call center, who struggles to navigate and embrace soft masculinity through his dual identities where on one side he has to be “successful” with a real job and money and on the other side he is a man deceivingly playing as a woman in a call center, thus breaking traditional notions associated with “the ideal man”. He also played the role of a homosexual man in Shubh Mangal Zada Savdhan (2020), bringing diverse players of society to the limelight, thereby bringing a change in the commonly accepted narrative. 

Some films of Akshay Kumar also break the social notions binding men to a narrow concept of masculinity. For example, Pad-Man (2018) where the main character faces societal pressure and stigma for obsessing over menstruation, which is a ‘ladies problem’. The movie highlights the importance of sanitary pads and the problems associated with it if hygiene is not maintained. Similarly, in Toilet Ek Prem Katha (2017), the plot focuses on the importance of a toilet in rural area households,    the idea itself is considered a taboo. The main character struggles to bring a change amidst social beliefs to address the problem faced by the women of the village, who had to wake up early in the morning to urinate/excrete in unhygienic surroundings. In both films, the traditional notions of a man are broken as the husband takes the pain to understand and solve the problems of his wife, whilst also highlighting the importance of sanitation.

The Hidden Side

While one side of cinema is on a ride to change the “ideal man” by breaking conventions and creating new narratives, where masculinity has space for expressing vulnerability, expressions of emotions and supporting women’s cause; the other side engages in the insecurity of men and revitalizes hyper-masculinity.

For example, Kabir Singh  (2019) directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, depicts an aggressive and possessive lover who chooses violence to demonstrate his alpha male character. The film takes on a traditional movie structure where the main theme of the film is  violence employed by the male lead. Whereas,   the female lead is a secondary player to the plot who plays a demure role. The film glorifies toxic masculinity as romantic. The great job done by the film at the box office shows how well the film was embraced by the youth. 

Another film with a similar structure is KGF directed by Prashanth Neel where the story revolves around the male character who exudes masculinity by being a fearless and determined leader. The female lead, who is his wife, is a 2D replaceable character, who is just an accessory to the male lead, and a side character in his successful life. Given that the story revolved around the male character, it does touch upon themes of loyalty, friendship, and the human cost of ambition. The story adds the characteristic of extreme devotion to the mother and her wishes being the sole value of her son’s life, to the image of the “ideal” man. This addition to the modern “ideal” man, takes us back to the angry man era.

The inferiority of youth is played around by the double face of cinema, which can be seen in a specific scene of movie Dil Dhadakne Do directed by Zoya Akhtar. The husband of the role played by Priyanka Chopra talks about “allowing” her to continue her job after marriage, thereby showing a hierarchy between the husband and wife that was otherwise hidden. On the other hand, her childhood friend points out this hierarchy. He is comfortable embracing himself and doesn’t feel inferior when he is around successful women. There is a clear contrast – where the husband tries to control his wife’s life psychologically and assert dominance and the childhood friend rejects this idea and embraces equality. 

Another highly criticized film is Animal (2023) directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga about the damaged relationship between a father and his son. It forces the audience to confront their own preconceptions about masculinity and morality. As much as it is heavily criticized for its violence, it is true that the film sparked a debate due to its wide acceptability, thereby confronting the problem brewing in the society. It challenged societal norms by throwing them in the face of the audience and showing what they look like in real life. Despite its extremism and violence, its impact can not be denied.

Conclusion

The changes to the discourse of an “ideal” man  can be seen over the years as he transitions from an aggressive, short-tempered man with physical dominance to a more understanding, emotional and vulnerable man who is capable of supporting and understanding the problems of women. There is undeniably a shift in the narrative of cinema, however, there is also a subtle want of the past through films like Animal and Kabir Singh. 

However, it would not be correct to say that the cinematic landscape has completely overturned. The “modern” man is still bound by the shackles of a caregiver, for example, in Pad-Man and Toilet Ek Prem Katha, the male lead was still responsible for taking care of his wife and family and was the bread earner of his family. Dil Dhadakne Do is one of the films where the male character played by Ranveer Singh was free from even these shackles (after much struggle against family pressure) and consequently, the responsibility fell on his sister. This is just one instance where this shackle was addressed in a very subtle manner. 

Even in this film, the psychology of Priyanka’s husband, who is a well-educated youth,  was conditioned to be responsible for the necessities of his family, despite the fact that his wife was a successful entrepreneur and can share his burdens. There is still a long way to go for masculinity to be box-free and be embraced without any definitions or basic characteristics. 

About the Author:

Saumya Aggarwal is a fourth year student of B.Com LLB at Jindal Global Law School.

Image Source: (holyrood.com)