Remember those angry dads of the 90s or 80s in moviedom who never think twice before to lock their daughters in a room because they oppose their decision? Bollywood just loved the idea of dominating fathers and devoted kids. Finally, the reel has stopped playing that same orthodox drama.
From DDLJ’s ‘Baaoji’ to Amrita’s dad in Thappad, Bollywood has truly left its old robe of autocratic fathers to show us, feminist dads, on screen. Thankfully, we have now movies which we can relate to and no more boys-will–be-boys!
Here, I am sharing my personal favorite father-daughter duos that Bollywood has given us in recent times:
Thappad: the most cherished and loved duo!
My most favorite duo on this list! Through ‘Thappad’, Anubhav Sinha made a point that it is okay to admit that you are not okay and you want to leave. We all know that physical abuse is rampant across class and age. Anubhav Sinha wrote an engaging plot where he showed different shades of marriage through stories that move parallelly in the movie.
Amidst a brilliantly put journey of a strong-headed woman, you couldn’t help but appreciate the way Sinha wrote the father’s character. Be it standing with his daughter in her decision of walking out of marriage or just watching her dancing, Sinha has conveyed the message that a father can be a pillar of his children without doing any macho act. At times, I thought I am watching my own father at a silver screen, a calm and caring one who is silently protecting his daughter’s pride. Yes, you can relate to this character too! When women in the family school Amrita that she needs to be more tolerant as she is a woman, it is her father who asks her daughter to follow what her heart speaks. This father-daughter duo has my heart!
And yes, a soft reminder that ‘Thappad’ is a must-watch Bollywood film! Even if your political opinions do not match with Tapsee and Anubhav Sinha, you should never miss this jewel! Go watch it!
Piku: an offbeat and uncommon bond of father-daughter
Defeating the idea of misogyny, Pikku is certainly the best cinematic tribute to liberal society. Pikku is not only the movie but a celebration of a quirky yet beautiful bond, adding a hope to liberate the cinema from monotony. It is a unique tale of a fabled multitasking woman who also happens to be a 30-year-old unmarried girl. And, surprisingly that does not affect her dad who carries the idea of equality quite literally. He is one dad given by Bollywood who is unfit for societal norms.
Piku’s whole life revolves around her eccentric dad who can bluntly speak about her daughter’s virginity in public without feeling any guilt. While watching the movie, you can sense how badly Piku’s dad wants her, and as the movie will move towards the end, you would not realize that your eyes are already wet. Deepika’s talking eyes, Irrfan’s effortless craft, and Big B’s amusing expressions, everything is just on point. Being a fan of Shoojit Sircar’s storytelling, Pikku is just my treat!
Bareilly ki Barfi: a cool yet treasured connection of father-daughter
Do you remember the scene where Pankaj Tripathi, Bitti’s dad, comes to console her daughter after she got rejected by yet another boy? Can we take a few minutes to appreciate that particular scene? How beautifully a dad tells her daughter that she is okay and it is the society whose perception of seeing any boy and girl is problematic. Bitti is a small-town girl who refuses to join the conventional club just for the shake of marriage.
She smokes, earns her own money, and is a rebel. As her mother is seeing chanting ‘a daughter is a praya dhan’ in the entire movie, his father keeps thinking that his sweet shop belongs to Bitti. It is his way of saying that his legacy belongs to his daughter. Dear Bitti’s dad, you have our respect! Who knew a love story can accentuate a father-daughter bond in this unique and beautiful way.
Dangal: strong and unflinching kinship!
Talking about a father-daughter relationship and not mentioning the tale of Geeta and Babita’s bond with their father, would be an injustice to this list. Mahavir Singh Phogat was truly a game-changer who broke all the stereotypes to push their daughters to victory. In the movie, it was clearly shown that Mahavir was wanted a son to win the gold medals for the country. As soon as he realizes that his daughter is capable of accomplishing his dreams, he leaves no stone unturned to prepare their daughters for gold medals. And how can we forget that iconic dialogue ‘Mhari Choriya Choro Se Kam hai Ke’ which created a stir among the Indian mentality?
I hope Bollywood will witness more gem like this.
As the Patriarchy keeps extending its already expanded empire, there are some people who are busy fighting with the unfair norms in their own way. Thank god, we have dads who appreciate all our woman-ly goals as well as respect our little desires. From 3 idiots to Taare Zameen par, Udaan to Highway, we cannot deny the fact that Cinema holds the power to shape our perception. Thus, we can only wish Bollywood would continue making such films. We wish they would damage unnecessary male entitlement and sexism. After all, our society does not wish to raise a voice against it. So, someone has to.
There are many more father-daughter duos of Bollywood names on the list. However, we’ll discuss them later sometime.
Richa Nupur is a writer, on a voyage to create versatile and impactful content. Discovering her orbit in an ocean of artists, she looks for uniqueness to project unbiased opinions. She dares to define herself as a keen learner who turns her head to humor and all things art!