Today, we’re talking about a movie that many of us have nit-picked for being problematic, Kabir Singh. But we’re looking at it from a different point of view, switching the roles and putting Preeti in Kabir’s shoes. 

What if the main lead was a woman? What if it wasn’t Kabir’s story but instead Preeti Singh’s story?

1. Imagine Preeti threatening a ‘married’ man who didn’t want to have sex with her. 

Obviously, she’ll first be labelled the ‘other woman’ who tried to break up a marriage and seduced a man. And in addition to that, if she ran behind her house help threatening to kill her, the neighbours would probably call the police, as they should. 

2. Imagine a woman having anger issues? Won’t she be branded a ‘chudail‘?

Remember how much hate Safeena (Alia Bhatt’s character) garnered in Gully Boy for having anger issues? If only we looked at Kabir that way. Women would be branded ‘too emotional’ and called all the names under the sun for expressing themselves in violent ways, but when Kabir did it – it was romantic. 

3. Travelling across the country to meet your boyfriend? God no, that just ‘unsanskaari’.

If a guy travelled across the country to meet his girlfriend and then she refused to marry him – she’s obviously horrible. 

But if a girl travelled across the country to meet her boyfriend, she would be branded ‘characterless’ and then when he left her, the world would just blame her for being easy and say ‘we told you so’. We wouldn’t have a movie if the tables were turned. 

4. Calling a guy ‘your guy’? What a batameez woman she must be, picking on a male junior. 

Remember how Kabir went straight to her classroom and declared that Preeti was ‘his girl’. If a woman ever did that in Bollywood, we would have a villain origin story. 

5. Sexually assaulting a guy before even introducing yourself to him?

Remember how Kabir kissed Preeti even before saying hi to her? Well, if Preeti did the same to a guy, she’d either be asked to leave the university or her character would be butchered. 

6. What would woman be called if she tried to fight a dude’s parents? Home-wreaker? 

Like Kabir gave Preeti the ultimatum, if Preeti did the same to Kabir she’d be called names for trying to separate a loving son from his parents. The drama. 

7. An alcoholic woman who smokes packets of cigarettes every day? Can you imagine how the neighbours would have her evicted overnight? She would ruin the samaaj. 

Ache ghar ki ladkiyaan yeh sab nahi karti. 

Either way, toxic is toxic. Regardless of the gender.