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The contemporary narrative surrounding men, has been for a while dunked in murky waters where the bad almost always outweighs the good. In a world of Kabir Singhs and Animals — narratives lived out in real life or eventually emulated on screen — there is something extraordinary and laudable about the Aman Mathurs and Aditya Kashyaps hidden in plain sight. And while sometimes it may feel like it’s hard to come across them IRL, we always have the movies to thank, allowing us to escape into our dreams, where respect and love doesn’t need to be demanded, but is served on a silver platter. So as the world celebrates International Men’s Day, we must take congnisance of these Bollywood-bred on screen gems that have in some way or the other, contributed to the idea of ‘the perfect man’.
Aman Mathur, Kal Ho Naa Ho
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) isn’t the first film Shah Rukh Khan has died in on-screen. But his woefully soulful yet somehow equally cheery Aman Mathur’s last breath will never leave a dry eye in the room, no matter how many times you hit play on KHNH. What amount of love in your heart does it take to orchestrate an everlasting romance for the love of your life, because you know you won’t be around to do it yourself?
Aditya Kashyap, Jab We Met
Waiting is a painful game, not knowing when it will end — if it will end. But for Aditya Kashyap, learning how to live, involved falling head-over-heels in love with Geet. And even when he found her again, broken beyond recognition, his quest wasn’t to have her for himself but to simply get her back in touch with who she used to be. Geet’s sprint back into Aditya’s arms right before the smashing Mauja Hi Mauja starts blasting for the credits, was in essence her running back to herself. Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met (2007) is a gem of a film in every which way.
Sunny Gill, Dil Dhadakne Do
Farhan Akhtar didn’t really need a full-fledged role to make an impact in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015). The Zoya Akhtar directorial featured an outsider-looking-in perspective on India’s uber rich, living the good life, yet grappling with almost the very same demons as the common man. It took Farhan’s Sunny Gill under 2 minutes to demonstrate the concept of women’s agency in many ways still being a myth under patriarchy. The best 2 minutes of the film hands down.
Rocky Randhawa, Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani
Rocky Randhawa isn’t for everybody. What he is though, is committed for life to his lady love Rani Chatterjee. There was a lot wrong with Ranveer Singh’s brash and brazen Punjabi munda act in Rocky aur Rani Ki Premi Kahani (2023). But who can’t melt at the sight of a man with so much wrong about his ideological wiring, genuinely trying to change — not because he needs to, but because he wants to.
Deepak Kumar, Laapata Ladies
Love is complicated. But if you’re lucky enough, sometimes it isn’t. And Phool and Deepak’s love story in Laapataa Ladies (2023) is a beautiful example of that. Despite the bizarre sequence of events and barely having known one another, both knew they had to somehow find their way back. And when you watch the film with this sentiment in mind, their reunion at the train station will beyond a doubt leave you with goosebumps.
We wish all men the world over, a very happy International Men’s Day!
