In Bikini Or Sari, Bollywood Just Wants A Sarva Guna Sampanna Nari!

Happened to watch the latest sensation ‘Pathaan’ yesterday and was certainly disappointed with the treatment meted out to the lead actress. For most part of the movie, Rubai, the character is a bait, an enchantress, being used liberally to entice the hero or some other man.

But then, that’s for most of the movie. Through the rest of it, look closely, she’s many things more. A sex siren notwithstanding, she’s an agent, a spy, an action hero, and, SarvaGuna Sampanna – the perfect Indian woman.

I’ll tell you how.

Beautiful

I mean the physical aspect, and there’s no hiding here. There is the song, the bikini, her well-chiseled body, and the makers have capitalized on her assets well. Now now, what good is a woman if she doesn’t have a beautiful face, the perfect figure, and a bikini body? She has to be seducing Pathaan, a random Russian uncle, and God knows whom else. How otherwise would a woman gather vital information? And come on, aren’t women supposed to be desirable to men? So, Rubai is sexy.

Educated

The movie is also about women empowerment, so our lady Rubai is well educated. She’s a doctor, no less. But of course, for the love of her country, the doctor gives up her practice, joins her country’s intelligence unit, and turns into a hot stunt woman. But Rubai is intelligent, who wants a dumb woman anyway?

Stylish

Rubai sustains a bullet injury and wakes up 18 hours later, in perfect make-up, what with the dress, lipstick, and eyeliner intact.  She performs heavy stunts, beats cops to pulp, rides choppers, and loots vaults, but her suits, her hair, and makeup are ever so perfect. The hero, our Pathaan might be an unshaven mess with his hair tied in a messy bun, but Rubai always looks dapper. She’s a woman after all, how can she look unkempt? Women are supposed to dress well, and look good, always.

Strong

Oh yes, a modern-day woman can’t just get away with good looks and stylish clothes. Not only should she possess a feminine bod, but also a man’s strength. What good is a woman who can’t take care of herself (read a martial arts expert) and the rest of her team? All that time when Rubai trained with Pathaan to steal the ‘Raktbeej‘, wonder what the villain and his otherwise all-men gang were doing. Well, she’s a woman, she’ll do the needful, by hook or by crook, wouldn’t she? And Rubai is a ‘soldier’ too, remember.

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Principled

She’s a woman, a Bollywood heroine. If she doesn’t feel for fellow human beings and doesn’t always do what’s right for humanity, wouldn’t she be a vamp? And what worse curse could befall on a woman, I mean who likes a vamp? Though the villain is an ex-soldier, it’s understandable that he turned rogue because his family was massacred. It’s cool for a hero to play the antagonist, but a leading lady turning hostile, Oh No!

Soft on the Inside

Rubai can be nasty with her kicks and punches, she could break your heart at the drop of a hat, but she’s very kind at heart. And emotional. As a child, she witnessed her father being executed, so she studies medicine and became a spy (Their words, not mine). She could plot against India, steal the poison ‘Raktbeej‘ and help terrorist organizations, but no, she wouldn’t harm innocent citizens. Her heart beats for mankind and Pathaan. So, she pledges not to cheat anymore, how sweet is that? A woman is after all, ‘Pyaar Aur Mamta Ki Moorat‘ (embodiment of love and affection).

So, for all those who got carried away watching Besharam Rang, expecting the leading lady to be just a sex object, think again. She’s Bollywood’s very own ideal, beautiful, gentle, strong, qualified, soldier, Aadarshwadi (good principles) Nari, in a Bikini, not a Sari.

The perfect Indian woman. SarvaGuna Sampanna.

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