Bollywood is known for giving us toxic, misogynist, regressive, sexist male characters. But, Captain Karan Shergill, played by Hritik Roshan in Lakshya is a class apart.
Lakshya was a film that was truly ahead of its time. No one would deny that it gave our generation a role model, who inspired many to find their life purpose and build character. This movie beautifully showcased the character of Captain Karan Shergill. It was probably the first time a movie showed a character, who was growing and becoming a man minus all the toxicity.
At the beginning of the movie, we have a man-child, who is not only afraid of commitment and responsibility but also couldn’t face tough situations. He constantly keeps running away from the tough questions that cover his personal and professional life.
In the film’s first half, the makers focus on the lack of purpose and motivation in his life. There is an entire song ‘Main Aisa Kyun Hoon’ dedicated to his struggle to find motivation in life. The struggle that many of us could relate to.
Even though he goes to the army to spite his parents. But after some time, he gets discouraged and runs back home. Baffled by his lack of ambition, he is schooled by his girlfriend, Romi, who refuses to stay with someone who won’t respect her.
But, what sets this movie apart is the fact that rather than becoming Kabir Singh, heartbroken Karan chooses to grow into a mature man. How he cries and channels his emotions is a refreshingly human take on men struggling with life.
Challenging the stereotypes, Karan chooses to be a human rather than a toxic hero. After hitting the lowest point in his life, Karan gathers himself and finds his purpose, his lakshya.
But even during that journey, Captain Karan is still shown as a human, who doesn’t forget his heartbreak. He calls Romi to tell her he did it, that he isn’t the aimless person he once was because maybe in some way, she was also a part of his success. His emotional turmoil is perfectly captured in the song Kitni Baatein. And, how could we forget the scene where he calls his father and apologize. During this beautiful moment, both men end up crying on the phone.
It is quite beautiful how the movie captures Karan’s growing-up journey. How he goes through a self-discovery journey while allowing himself to feel emotions.
Unlike many other toxic male characters, Lakshya gave us a male lead who cries and doesn’t shy away from expressing his emotions. How this movie captures the beautiful transformation of a man-child, to a fully-functioning amazing adult is what makes this movie special!
*All images are screengrab from the movie Lakshya