It’s disheartening how movies, disguised as entertainment, often lead us to admire male characters who fall short of being good examples of romance. From major hits like Judwaa-2 to the Dabangg series and Housefull movies, a troubling pattern of sexism is ingrained in their narratives.
What’s even more concerning is that there are movies depicting unhealthy and chauvinistic male characters as ideal romantic figures. These films, lauded for their supposed love stories, turn out to be quite the opposite.
These movies distort our perception of how men should behave in relationships, marriages, or society in general. These narratives not only establish damaging standards for people in relationships but also glorify toxic behavior to an extent that many find appealing.
These movies influence many of us to accept low and harmful standards in our relationships. Additionally, they normalize toxicity as many reflect the actions of these terrible, toxic romantic heroes. Hence, it’s crucial to spotlight these problematic characters, urging everyone to stop glorifying toxicity in our society.
Disclaimer: We understand that some of these characters might have captured your heart. If our critique evokes emotions, we apologize in advance!
1. Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) in ‘Cocktail’
Gautam is a character full of double standards. He wants to have a casual relationship but doesn’t want to marry a woman. He wants to marry a girl who will cook and clean for him – the adarsh bharatiya nari, Meera. The sad part is how this movie celebrates and romanticizes the problematic Gautam and puts the female characters in this film against each other, creating the age-old sanskaari girl-bad girl dichotomy.
2. Zaroon (Fawad Khan) in ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’
Sorry to break it to you but Zaroon’s character is not romantic. From being jealous of Kashaf’s academic success to pretending to be in love with her, Zaroon’s character does innumerable insane and shady things that are romanticized in the problematic series. Remember how after the couple’s fight, he ghosts her out and doesn’t even try to contact her? Full of ego and false pride, sorry but Zaroon’s arrogant character is not the kind of man anyone would like to spend life with. Also Read: Here’s why Zaroon in Zindagi Gulzar Hai wasn’t a hero but a toxic partner!
3. Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) in ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’
Ayan may have made you fall in love with him, but he doesn’t understand the meaning of consent. Even after being repeatedly told by Anushka Sharma’s character Alizeh that she just wants to be friends, Ayan (played by Ranbir Kapoor) keeps pressuring her for a relationship. Our so-called romantic hero tends to get angry and abusive when she denies him. What is even more disturbing is how Bollywood tends to glorify the shameless disregard for consent as “love”. Bollywood makes people believe that Ayan’s disgusting and dangerous obsession with conquering Alizeh is perfectly fine!
4. Maddy (R. Madhavan) in ‘Rehna Hai Terre Dil Mein’
If you were one of those who truly loved Maddy, here’s the ugly reality you may not want to confront. From being violent and indulging in stalking Dia Mirza’s character, Reena, this particular character is rife with problems. He gaslights her friend, lies to her, and even impersonates her fiance. Even with these problematic traits, Bollywood made us forgive him in the name of love. Hailing Maddy as a romantic hero failed an entire generation – who were fed this poor behavior under the guise of love! It makes us wonder how any woman is supposed to love a man like that.
5. Badri (Varun Dhawan) in ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’
From kidnapping Alia’s character Vaidehi to following her all the way to Singapore to make her marry him, even after she had refused marriage. He even gets arrested for creating a scene outside her building, and she has to pay a huge amount for his bail to get him out. Who would have thought that he would be celebrated as the ideal romantic man? We certainly didn’t. Did you?
6. Kabir Singh (Shahid Kapoor) in Kabir Singh
How could we forget to mention the king of toxic characters celebrated as Romantic Heroes – Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Kabir Singh’. How this disturbingly abusive character became a super hit, shows why we need to stop romanticizing the toxicity in the name of love before it’s too late!
Additionally, Raj from ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ might be celebrated as a hero, but he was undeniably weird and problematic. Another romantic hero, Rahul from ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, was so problematic that you may question whether ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ was a love story or a tragedy, where Anjali made the biggest blunder of her life by choosing Rahul over Aman.
In a world where entertainment often shapes our perceptions of romance and love, as viewers, it’s crucial to question the standards set by such characters and demand a shift towards healthier, more respectful representations of love. Let this be a reminder that our standards should be rooted in respect, consent, and understanding – qualities that define genuine love.
What do you think about these characters? Tell us in the comments below