After a long time, I went to a cinema hall to see a film, Rocky aur Rani kii Prem Kahani. Responses to the film vary, but I must confess that I greatly enjoyed the film. Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt give sterling performances. Ranveer as Rocky, the brash scion of the mithai empire of a very rich Punjabi family in Delhi’s Karol Bagh – with his Ferrari and hilariously bad English – was impressive if slightly caricatured. Alia Bhatt as Rani was superb. Her bhadralok Bengali family is diametrically different, steeped in classical culture, for whom English is as much a mother tongue as Bengali. The supporting cast composed of Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi is a towering presence.
At a time when many Over the Top (OTT) platforms offer excellent fare, and showcase a vast number of hitherto unnoticed but very talented actors and directors, it is good that Bollywood too has got a slice of the viewership cake, in the form of several hits like Rocky aur Rani, Oh My God 2, and Gadar 2. For some time now—with one or two exceptions—only films from south India, such as KGF 2 and RRR, were raking in the moolah.
Given my time constraints, I usually wait for a film to come on OTT and see it at my convenience. But my wife, who had seen Rocky aur Rani insisted that I see it too. There was a time when as a student in the mid-1970s, I used to go to see several films every week. This was because I was the film critic of a now long-defunct weekly called Link, the magazine of the newspaper Patriot, which too no longer exists. My column was featured every week, and I earned a sum of ₹100 every month, which was considered princely back then. I finally called it quits, because I could not tolerate such a surfeit of mostly unwatchable films. But my interest in the cinematic genre was aroused, and I seriously studied filmmaking. In fact, I wrote a script for my own short film called Nahin Kuch Bhi Nahin, which was accepted by Doordarshan—then the only platform available for such projects. However, by the time this happened, I had already qualified for the Indian Foreign Service, and there was no time to pursue this other interest.
But to return to Rocky aur Rani. The film is an out-and-out entertainer but with a very important and relevant message interwoven in it: Gender equality. Without revealing the story, I will only say that the film does more for this pivotal issue than all the publicity campaigns of the government. We have for too long been a heavily male-dominated society, and women—and their aspirations—have been suppressed or marginalized. Things have somewhat changed for the better now, where modern and educated women are conscious of their rights, and have made their mark in several areas with an excellence that challenges male monopolies. Yet, the subordination and exploitation of women—especially in rural India—is far from being erased.
This film conveys the message of gender equality in a manner that can be easily internalized by men and women without preaching or sermonizing. The key word in the male-female relationship is ‘respect’. It cannot be reduced to a rigid formula, as practised in the West, that you make the bed today and I will make it tomorrow, or that both must alternately cook, and change the diapers of the baby. Yes, this sharing of burdens is important too, but the real impenetrable barrier still remains male attitudes. Unless men are infused with this vital notion of mutual respect, formulas are of little value. I had an aunt, who wore the pants in the house, but if her husband was getting late for work, she would have no hesitation in running with his tiffin carrier to the car or even polishing his shoes. On his part, he treated her with utmost respect, took her advice on every decision, treated her as an equal, and mostly did what she wanted. Each relationship is a microcosm in itself, and there can be no universal formula. From respect flow rights, and from rights, equality.
Another message the film successfully conveys is about the invisible yet very palpable gulf that so-called pedigree creates in society. For too long, generations of talented Indians have been judged by their ability to speak English in the right accent and fluency, or by their adeptness in Western table manners and dress mores. But, slowly but surely, these barriers are being eroded. India has changed from being a thali (plate) with distinct katoris (bowls) segregated from each other, into a melting pot. In this pot, people can reach out to each other regardless of class and caste barriers, and differences in background and upbringing. The process is still incomplete, but more and more people in the vast sprawl of urban India would rather choose a good human being as their companion, notwithstanding differences of ‘social status’ or family vetoes.
Kudos to Karan Johar, the director, and the scriptwriters, Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan, and Sumit Roy. Readers, please write in with your views on the film.
Pavan K Varma is author, diplomat, and former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).
Just Like That is a weekly column where Varma shares nuggets from the world of history, culture, literature, and personal reminiscences with HT Premium readers
The views expressed are personal
