Why heroine always has to be childlike? - Page 2

Madhuri’s characters were anything but child like. Hell, I wasn’t allowed to watch her movies as a child 😆

Becoz bholi ladkiya satisfies the male ego. And in-laws think oh.. bahu sidhi sadhi hai. Fir bahu bholi banke sabko nachaye. 😆

Much less % likes no-nonsense straight forward opinionated woman. A fact!

Childlike? Most of them or all of them looked bold to me

Because it was easier to make a plot, maybe!...

I think most if not all Preity Zinta movies have her being cute but also having her own mind..

But, yeah so many movies in 90's had these women being damsel in distress and men being their saviour..

First stalking her, creating fake risky scenarios (bringing fake goons), and saving her..then..bam, now, she is heads over heels in love!!

Eg: Dulhan Hum Le Jaayenge

And women being all arrogant, with full of attitude (which don't seem that bad if watched now), and men do all these tricks and tame them and then, she would be full of love with him, all attitudes gone! Uff..There used to be so much bad plots..

In some films makers did try to show Madhuri a bit childlike. Example that chocolate song in HAHK. She was also shown as childlike cheerful forever smiling, laughing and joking with her FIL type girl in Abodh also. There was naivete in her character in initial part of Khilaaf.

It is true she was never childlike in other films.

This occured to me when I saw some predictable scenes of heroines in mainstream films. Like Kajol is literally calles bachi by her brother in Pyar kiya toh darna kya and her entry scenes show her running, prancing, laughing around or being a bit clumsy. She is clumsy and nervous like a kid in Pyar toh Hona hi tha (initial part) and her boss has to console her like a father and she also cries at drop of a hat or watches cartoons.

I was watching some old films with Madhubala in which she is laughing and hyper excited for no reason. Almost looked like an attempt to make her look adorable like a child.

Hence I asked.

Originally posted by: atominis

In some films makers did try to show Madhuri a bit childlike. Example that chocolate song in HAHK. She was also shown as childlike cheerful forever smiling, laughing and joking with her FIL type girl in Abodh also. There was naivete in her character in initial part of Khilaaf.

It is true she was never childlike in other films.

This occured to me when I saw some predictable scenes of heroines in mainstream films. Like Kajol is literally calles bachi by her brother in Pyar kiya toh darna kya and her entry scenes show her running, prancing, laughing around or being a bit clumsy. She is clumsy and nervous like a kid in Pyar toh Hona hi tha (initial part) and her boss has to console her like a father and she also cries at drop of a hat or watches cartoons.

I was watching some old films with Madhubala in which she is laughing and hyper excited for no reason. Almost looked like an attempt to make her look adorable like a child.

Hence I asked.

DTPH intro: Madhuri was presented as almost IQ challenged. What grown woman would prance around alone, waving a dupatta?

Interesting topic. It is true that adult women who were romancing heroes and doing otherwise grown-up things were often depicted with having certain traits that were childlike. Be it randomly prancing around, still being obsessed with teddy bears and dolls, tantrums, or just pure naivete.

The infantilization of women is usually a power dynamic. It is usually men who present women in girlish ways. Making anyone appear childish is a way to make them appear powerless and immature. Children are not capable of making mature decisions or showing restraint in difficult situations. By infantilizing women - men assert their position of power. If the woman is an equal adult - she has to be given agency, authority, and decision-making power. By infantilizing her you make it acceptable for the man to exercise agency, authority, and decision-making instead of a childish person.

I also feel that infantilization is where different from the fetish where adult women dress up and act like teenagers - the sexy Catholic schoolgirl outfit and subgenres of cosplay that cater to this. This is a very distinct sexual fetish where people indulge in the fantasies of sexual relations with underage girls that are otherwise taboo.

The two are distinct. Infantilization can take place in platonic situations like in the workplace - some men refer to female colleagues as "young lady" or "missy" and treat them like a child instead of colleagues. In sexual role play, a woman may dress up as a teenager and exhibit some behaviors but still assert agency, authority, and decision-making like an adult. And there are times when both a woman is infantilized and fetishized.

I don't think it is infantilization when women with husky or deep voices are laughed off as manly or women with larger frames are body shamed for being manly or broad back. These are gender socialization and conditioning. From a young age society instills that women look and behave a certain way. They have petite bodies, soft voices, and demure personalities. Any woman who doesn't fit the mold is unladylike or downright manly.

The Youtube channel the take has done a great breakdown of most female tropes used in cinema - Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Cool Girl, Crazy Woman, Girly Girl, Tomboy, Mean Girl, Weird Girl, Femme Fatale, and more. They have explored a lot of male tropes too. I really wish there was a similar channel that introspected tropes in Indian movies.

I don’t think a few mannerisms really mean heroines have to be presented that way. For that matter there are films where the hero acts goofy or makes lame jokes. Does that also mean he is childlike ?

How many films have heroes shown that way? Contrast it to heroines who are almost always shown jumping, prancing around or like school girls or scared or nervous or like some petulant child who needs to be tamed by hero or her family.

In most films heroines laugh, prance or cry for no reason or often quarrel like kids. And there are dialogues referring to her bachpana, innocence or calling her spoilt brat.

How many times you saw hero entering jumping and prancing around or playing with his scarf or having teddy bears, flowers and chocolates, ice creams?

And when films do show male actor jumping around or clinging to mom, dad, siblings or waking up late or playing video games, they do show him as immature or manchild who needs to mature/grow up. Like Saif in HSSH or Ranbir in Wake up Sid or Aamir in JJWS.

I am referring to fictional characters in films not real life image.

Preity is shown as cutesy girl in most of her early films. Teddy bears, jumping and prancing around or dancing with Mickey Mouse ears cap with Rani in Piya piya song.

Rani was shown as naive, boisterous in her early films like Badal, Har Dil jo Pyar Karega, Bichoo, Kahi pyar na ho jaye.

Juhi was shown childlike innocent, cute, naive in almost all her early films before 1994-1995. She is in school uniform in one of early scenes of Darr.

Karishma was shown like an overgrown kid in films like Dhanwaan, Andaz and a spoilt bratty girl in Raja Babu.

There are plenty of films that show girls as too playful, boisterous, clumsy or extra cheerful, always prancing, laughing, smiling for no reason or getting into trouble and then hero saves them or gets attracted to their so called childlike innocence.

Manisha Koirala is also shown childlike in Saudagar. Even in scenes when she is not with her grandfather. Speaking in extra sweet voice which almost sounds artificial or prancing around for no reason.