In the film, a character named Manju Maai, portrayed by Chhaya Kadam, discusses her tumultuous marriage, suggesting that a man who loves you has the right to beat you.“A man who loves you has the right to beat you. One day, I exercised my right as well,“ taunts Manju in the respective scene.
This dialogue bears a striking resemblance to Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s comments defending a controversial scene in ‘Kabir Singh,’ where he argued that physical aggression is a manifestation of love. Vanga during his conversation with Film Companion talked about the slap scene in ‘Kabir Singh,’ he said, “If you can’t touch your woman, wherever you want, and if you can’t slap, you can’t kiss, you can’t use cuss words. I don’t see the emotion there.”
Kiran Rao’s alleged dig at Vanga comes after their previous exchange regarding the glorification of certain themes in Bollywood. Rao had criticized the portrayal of stalking in films like ‘Kabir Singh.’ Vanga responded indirectly, defending his work and citing examples from other films, including Aamir Khan’s ‘Dil.’
Despite Vanga’s defense, Rao clarified that she hadn’t seen his film ‘Animal’ and denied directly commenting on his work. However, Vanga’s team later resurfaced an old video allegedly featuring Rao mentioning the director.
Further, this exchange highlights ongoing debates within the film industry regarding the portrayal of sensitive themes and the responsibility of filmmakers. While Kiran Rao’s film subtly addresses issues of domestic abuse, it also reignites discussions surrounding the depiction of violence and misogyny in Indian cinema.
