Ladies' knights
Brunch|April 06, 2024
If men onscreen are warmer, chattier, more emotional and caring, it's because women filmmakers behind the scenes are braver. Slowly, they're making us realise that portraying aman as vulnerable might be the most daring plot twist after all
Urvee Modwel
Ladies' knights

We know what happens sometimes when men write about women. Breasts, hips (even ponytails) sway as heroines go the mall or to war. Women characters push men's journeys forward, disappear from the story after the item number. They rarely showcase the range of the female experience.

But when the roles are reversed, and women filmmakers craft male characters, something unusual happens - usually. It gives men, even muscled heroes, the kind of depth that audiences rarely see. Men are allowed to be vulnerable, exhausted, communicative, human. Audiences get to see what green flags look like in a romantic partner. Check out how many "Bro is a green forest"-type comments pop up on clips of Farhan Akhtar from Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), and Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani (2023). Men seem to love it too. Filmmaker Tanuja Chandra recalls something the late actor Irrfan Khan told her when they were shooting Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017). Khan plays Yogi in a rom-com about two people with contrasting personalities connecting on a dating app. Yogi is attractive, but more whimsical than macho. "He's someone who considers a woman his equal, if not better, and would never cross a boundary with her,” Chandra says. "Irrfan said that we had written a male character whom women longed for in real life. Someone who had flaws and annoying qualities that made him real, but who was also tender and respectful and a feminist," she says. "I told him, 'Why not? If one can't do this in movies, where else might one do this?""

Today's women filmmakers are determined to give their characters, male and female, a break from the tired tropes so audiences can breathe easy too. See how they do it.

Boy meets world

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 06, 2024-Ausgabe von Brunch.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 06, 2024-Ausgabe von Brunch.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS BRUNCHAlle anzeigen
Fit Check? Look Behind You
Brunch

Fit Check? Look Behind You

In gyms, someone is always filming. We are all in the frame without meaning to be. Is privacy at odds with fitness goals? Is consent even possible with all those mirrors?

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Avantika Dassani
Brunch

Avantika Dassani

Actor, @AvantikaDassani

time-read
1 min  |
November 23, 2024
Keep your i on this BMW
Brunch

Keep your i on this BMW

The brand's beloved sedan has now gone electric. The i5 M60 has a sci-fi roar and razor-sharp graphics. It's worth the hype

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Why adapt when you can evolve?
Brunch

Why adapt when you can evolve?

Sometimes, the movie or show does it better than the book it is based on. Here's when to stream not flip

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Sharp edges, blunt words
Brunch

Sharp edges, blunt words

British chef Heston Blumenthal has gone public about his struggle with ADHD and bipolar syndrome. He hopes it calms kitchens down. It's hot in there already

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
The suitable boy
Brunch

The suitable boy

He's played lovers, taxi drivers, street rats and rich brats. He's redefining what it means to be the token Brown boy on set. But would he be on a reality show? Ishaan Khatter tells us why he's a career chameleon and how he got here

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Stay stylish in your cubicle
Brunch

Stay stylish in your cubicle

Everyone's back at the office. Covid flexibilities are long forgotten. But being comfortable is still key. So, what are we wearing to work?

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Hey, I found you online
Brunch

Hey, I found you online

Baby pics, emo selfies, old tweets outing the ex. If it makes you cringe, it makes HR departments do too. Here's how to clean up your digital footprint

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 23, 2024
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Brunch

Is It Scrolling Or Screening?

Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 16, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Preferring the spinoff.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 16, 2024