Nandita Das Opens Up About Her Views On The Massive Success Of The Movie Kabir Singh

Nandita Das, who last directed the Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Manto opened up about her views on the film Kabir Singh. In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, the acclaimed actress and filmmaker has lashed out at the success of the film.

She said, “Whether it’s a propaganda film or a regressive film like Kabir Singh, there are two ways. One, where we look inwards: can we become more discerning? Can we choose not to watch it and enable more of the same? If I don’t like a Kabir Singh, I will talk about how misogynistic that film is. I will express dissent.”

She continued and explained, “But at the same time, cinema is also a reflection of society. If such a film is being made and it does well, what does that say about us? The audience is complicit. Even politically, there’s a complicity in all of us if we’re letting it—whatever that is going on—happen. It’s a scary, slippery slope: in the name of freedom, we don’t want hate speeches, we don’t want propaganda, we don’t want misogyny.”

She finally concluded by saying, “The success is, in straightforward terms, indicative of societal numbness, apathy and brutal celebration of misogyny. The success just validates a certain male narrative where you’re okay being violent towards women.”

The movie Kabir Singh is one of the highest grossing films of the year 2019. But the Shahid Kapoor starrer came under a lot of scrutiny and criticism. There was a lot of debate amongst people about the portrayal of the lead character and his actions. Shahid portrayed a violent, heartbroken lover/doctor who eventually takes to drugs.

Kabir Singh was directed by Sandeep Vanga Reddy and is a remake to the South super hit Arjun Reddy. The movie minted more than 300 crores worldwide making it the highest grossing film of Shahid Kapoor’s career.