Bollywood has given us many toxic movies where parents promoting regressive & patriarchal mindset are celebrated and shown as ‘role models’, But recently, there have been handful of makers who are trying hard to change the narrative on how parents should be! These makers have given us glimpse of progressive parents and started a constructive dialogue on how parent-child relationship is about empathy, love, support and sensitivity!
Here are 4 recent Bollywood movies and shows that have captured the parent-child relationship with utmost sensitivity and left us impressed!
1. Gehraiyaan: When Alisha’s father advises her to let go of her past
While Gehraiyaan might have received mixed reviews, but no one can deny the scene between Alisha (Deepika Padukone) and her father (Naseeruddin Shah) was one of the most heart-touching scenes ever. In this scene, Naseeruddin talks about Alisha’s mother and the mistakes she made in their marriage. He beautifully comforts Alisha that we are more than our bad decisions. And, our bad choices don’t define us. He wishes he could have saved her mother and made her understand that her life was so much more than one mistake!
This powerful scene between a father and a daughter is a reminder of how we need to accept our past and move on from it, instead of constantly fighting it. And, the times, when we have lost our strength, our parents become our strength:
ALSO READ: This Powerful Scene With Naseeruddin & Deepika Is A Reminder That We Are More Than Our Mistakes
2. Looop Lapeta: Another movie where daughter accepts the homosexual relationship of her father
Unlike any other Bollywood movie, Looop Lapeta captured the daughter’s struggle to accept her homosexual father. Savi (played by Taapsee Pannu) realises that she needs to accept her father’s relationship because that’s where his true happiness lies. How the makers have captured the scene of Savi accepting her father’s relationship despite her struggle leaves you so impressed.
3. Chandigarh Kare Ashiqui: How Maanvi’s father became her strength despite societal pressure
Sadly, Bollywood has a really bad history of handling sensitive topics, especially when it comes to portraying LGBTQ+. But, the movie ‘Chandigarh Kare Ashiqui’ was an exception. How the movie shows a supportive father, played by Kanwaljit Singh, taking a stand for his daughter is so heart-touching and inspiring.
ALSO READ: Maanvi’s Father In ‘Chandigarh Kare..’ Is A Supportive Parent Every Kid Deserves
4. Fame Game: How a mother accepts her son and daughter unconditionally and emapthizes with them
‘Fame Game’ takes a refreshing detour from the usual Bollywood route. Instead of shaming her son or patronising him for his self-harming act, Anamika (Madhuri Dixit) finds ways to empathise and understand him. It is a nuanced and mature depiction of self-harm that Bollywood rarely gets right. Additionally, how Anamika understood her son lacks words to express himself, she asks him “Are you gay?” Without being dramatic, she lets him know that she will love him irrespective of his sexuality.
And, how Anamika comforts her daughter Amara about her looks, and gives her confidence that she is beautiful, leaves us so heart-touched!
We hope Bollywood won’t disappoint us and would give us more such progressive parent characters!