Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about how Bollywood films like ‘Animal’ depict toxic masculinity by glorifying manchild as alpha male. This problematic portrayal has led many young guys to confuse toxicity with the strength of being an alpha male. In case you’re not familiar, an alpha male is typically seen as the most successful and powerful male in a group – someone who’s strong, can take the lead, and inspire others.
During 2023, numerous Bollywood flicks painted the alpha male as this hyper-aggressive, adrenaline-fueled guy who’s all about yelling, violence, and treating women poorly because he can’t view women as equals.
It’s quite disappointing how some people applaud Ranbir Kapoor’s toxic character in ‘Animal’ as an alpha male, especially when there are characters like Manoj Sharma from ’12th Fail’ who truly embody what being a real alpha male means
12th Fail’s Manoj Kumar Sharma is the real alpha male that our society needs.
It’s sad how even in the 21st century, many filmmakers associate violence with being a macho man. Sadly, machismo isn’t about violence but about taking a stand for yourself, your family, or the downtrodden. It’s not about resorting to violence but having the courage to stand up against those who exploit their position of power.
In the film 12th Fail, Vikrant Massey’s portrayal of Manoj showed courage in standing up against those who wronged him. There’s a heartwarming scene where he and his brother are wrongly taken into custody by the police. While the officer instigates Manoj to get his gun for a face-off in exchange for his brother’s acquittal, Manoj refuses to choose violence and a false sense of manhood.
Instead, he showcases immense intelligence by approaching an honest DSP in his area, Dushyant Singh, to resolve the matter. He even managed to speak up in front of powerful DSP officer Dushyant about the ugly truth – what’s the point of honesty when you can’t help a poor person in need? Dushyant is moved by his determination and bravado and decides to help him out.
Inspired by the real-life story of Manoj Sharma, ’12th Fail’ showcases how a real alpha doesn’t resort to guns to right wrongs. Rather, with courage, determination, and strength, he takes up the responsibility to correct the system through the right channels. This movie reminds Bollywood of the most important thing: a really strong man is not scared of taking the right path to solve the most difficult problems, regardless of how difficult the path may be.
In a country where the majority of us are fighting for our dreams, we hope Bollywood stops promoting Ranbir’s toxic character in ‘Animal’ as a symbol of power and strength and rather symbolizes real-life-inspired Manoj Sharma as a real man who fought hunger and poverty to achieve a dream that many called unrealistic and impossible.
How Manoj worked odd jobs like cleaning toilets, waiting tables in a tea stall, working in a library, and milling flour to make money for his tuition and books to clear IPS, is a reminder of what true strength looks like.
You can hate us all you want, but for us, Manoj Sharma – who treats his life partner with ultimate respect and fights against poverty and hunger to turn his IPS dream into a reality – is a real alpha, rather than a man-child who resorts to guns and toxicity to win his father’s love.
Animal’s Ranvijay or ’12th Fail’s Manoj Sharma – who is the real alpha according to you? Tell us in the comments below.