Page 21 - CineBuster Vol-3 Issue-04

KATRINA KAIF FANS START AN ANGRY it is us, the audience that’s oiling the wheel of misogyny
TREND AGAINST HER ‘SOORYAVANSHI’ in Bollywood that’s now staring us in the face.
DIRECTOR ROHIT SHETTY
We like to believe that we are woke. It’s easy that way.
But calling Rohit Shetty out when it didn’t bother us when
Shraddha’s role in Baaghi 3 was reduced to a mere
extended cameo only exposes us. Or when in Simmba no
one noticed Sara Ali Khan next to Ranveer. Or Singham
and Singham Returns where Kajal Aggarwal and Kareena
Kapoor Khan, respectively, faded next to Ajay. Shame on
us, if anyone at all, for allowing male-centrism to thrive in
Bollywood to a point where women are reduced to mere
eye candies, and when even that’s not enough, there’s
the Nora Fatehis of the world brought in to gyrate on
screen.
One doesn’t need to be too active on social media to have
spotted #ShameOnYouRohitShetty trending on Twitter. And when there is a brave attempt to weave a story around
Rohit has been branded ‘misogynist’ and ‘sexist’ for a female protagonists, such films get washed away at
refusing to reshoot a scene of Sooryavanshi on Katrina the box office trying to match numbers with the men-
Kaif’s request. “Katrina, three guys (Akshay Kumar, driven releases of that week. Case in point - Ajay Devgn’s
Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh) are walking with blasts Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior vs Deepika Padukone’s
happening behind, nobody will notice you,” was Rohit’s Chhapaak, both released on January 10, 2020.
argument when Katrina pointed out that she had blinked
in the scene and a retake is advisable. The wrath of social media that fell on Rohit wasn’t
entirely unfounded. But there’s really no point in stating
Twitter, woke and armed with an evolved vocabulary that the obvious. That Bollywood is propelled by male actors
include words like misogyny now, ripped Rohit apart. - and male-centric stories is not news. A handful of
After all, how could he? Is this where A-list female actors privileged female actors privileged to have a fan base,
like Katrina stand in Bollywood’s pecking order? No one a certain market dominance by virtue of previous hits,
is going to notice her because three macho men will lead and/or sheer talent - today have the power to choose
the show, so she ‘meaty’ roles. Which is why a Priyanka Chopra walks out
should zip it and be of Bharat - no, we refuse to believe it was because of
the eye candy she her wedding - and not The Sky Is Pink. There are still
was cast to be? plenty left behind who aren’t that privileged. Finally, it was
Katrina who had to come to Rohit’s rescue when she
While Twitter released a statement defending him on Instagram.
screamed Dracarys
on Rohit Shetty,
another similar
macho man (Tiger
Shroff) film with
a no-one-will-
notice-you woman
(Shraddha Kapoor)
- Baaghi 3 - earned
Rs 76.94 crore
in 5 days. Double
standards?
We blinked, and just
like that missed the
core issue here that

19 CINE BUSTER n MARCH 15 n 2020