How Indians are misusing this female trope in cinema

Nathan Rabin's original article: www.avclub.com/the-bataan-dea...
Nathan Rabin apologizes: www.salon.com/2014/07/15/im_s...
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[@pettyfleur7489]

Honestly, I used to have the same mindset of Geet being this really annoying character who finally learns her lesson towards the end, which now that I think about it is extremely unfair to the character. Sure her attitude might be off-putting to some, but she genuinely meant no harm and she never hurts anyone. I'm glad we're finally coming to our senses now. Thanks for sharing this.

[@satyajitsharma97]

Killing female characters literally just for the sake of character development of male characters or to keep the story go forward is called 'fridging' or 'women in refrigerator'. Heard about this unusual trope from a friend of mine.

[@Cinemawali]

You're right. But the trope I'm referring to is like a combination of a manic pixie dream girl and the fridged woman in the sense that she causes an initial change in the man and then she is killed to take the plot forward. The best of both worlds.

[@AnkitMehtaankitnm1]

sharukh from kal ho na ho is manic pixie dream boy?? 🤔🤔🤔

[@Cinemawali]

Good point! Could be.

[@Noproblem396]

Augustus from 'The Fault in our Stars'

[@IJustReactAndReview]

This is my favourite video of yours !! Beautifully explained. This is exactly how I felt about this film.. BALANCED !! Both characters help each other grow and balance out each other’s perspective !! Aditya sees that he doesn’t need to be a rock all the time and it’s ok to emote and Geet also realised that life isn’t always a bed of roses and sometimes one needs to think realistically. Lovely video ❤😊

[@Cinemawali]

Thank you, Asmita! 🥰

[@adikred24]

I learnt so many things today while watching this video! I never knew about manic pixie dream girl. Also, I am realizing that Jab we met is indeed about role reversal and equality in relationships and other amazing things you said. Also, I loved how you urge us to look at indian cinema and storytelling through a nuanced lense and how not all media and stories can be seen from a singular lens. I am going to extend this thought to people. Not everyone can be seen through the same lens. Lol I am blabbering and I must stop but I love your videos

[@Cinemawali]

Thank you! 🥰❤

[@Anjali-dt1jf]

I wish I could have the power to analyze the films, the way you do :)

[@aslianujsharma]

I didn't know I needed this analysis, but it was helpful. ❤

[@MenGrowingTOWin]

I am writing a novel with the manic pixie dream girl trope and found your perspectives very helpful in guiding my artistic direction. The criticism that they lack an arc and this is lazy writing is valid. So I decided to give her one. She starts out searching for meaning and purpose in life driven by the misbelief that she should have one. Her aha moment is discovering how freeing it is to simply abandon her search and instead devote her life solely to making the main character happy.

[@reshmashaik8712]

Loved this, and would love to see you dissecting other tropes😀

[@MegaKoko15]

Love love loved this analysis!!

[@sink438]

You are creating gems don't stop

[@shrutisharma676]

just love the channel

[@oldsoulmusik4677]

cinemawali is back.

[@rowen5435]

Hello, a bit off topic.. but will you be making any video on Coke Studio Bangla?

[@bhaveshvarma0]

Hi Paroma, I'm Almost Following you Since the I get to know About Channel and Have to Say that Your Analyzation of Art is Very Precise Authentically Beautiful and Seem Intelligent With Choice of Words. honestly I Want you to impart your review Or analyzation for Series Made in Heaven Protagonist TARA, Please do it if You Can. Wish You Luck and More Growth.

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the miss dead perfect trope, because it is a callback to the mentor figure often found in the monomyth. Characters like Gandalf are supposed to offer the good values to the protagonist so that when the mentor figure dies, the main protagonist is presented with a climactic choice to either follow in the mentor's footsteps and embrace the good values or reject them (a truly excellent story will actually find some middle ground that deviates from the dogma of the mentor without rejecting it entirely, simultaneously redefining the protagonist's understanding of a theme). That said, we cannot ignore the fact that sexism does exist, and that unfortunately the miss dead perfect trope subliminally perpetuates potentially harmful stereotypes about women.

[@Cinemawali]

That's a good way to look at it! But yes, I do feel that in Indian films it tends to be an inherently sexist trope, especially at a time when storytelling has evolved a lot from the hero's journey and characters that support the hero also have worlds of their own. But I like the point you're making. :)

[@Badbayafternoon.]

no one is perfect. And we love shady character

[@aryanbhushan9047]

You started a course on your channel last year and I did not know you back then so will you ever do something like that again

[@Cinemawali]

Hey, if I do I'll definitely post about it. :)

[@nafisalam9102]

Nice analysis

[@apoorvkumar7437]

I'd very much like to witness your own views on Sanam Teri Kasam. How will you interpret the Parvathy's character? P.S. The video was articulately put down and your constructive criticism was really sound with you showing all the negative and positive aspects related to a character.

[@jeevika355]

@cinemawali yes please!

[@weirdothings8672]

Poo in kkkg is MPD girl i think

[@ronitrajput3934]

How can somebody misread jab we met 😶😶

[@cliches_and_more]

Anushka Sharma in Patiala House too?

[@Cinemawali]

I haven't watched it so can't say.

[@cellardoortostars]

Nice video.

[@radio657]

Heer from rock star isn’t a MPDG. in fact we are never shown Jordan falling for her or his journey of any kind. It all happened later on separately . Any hint of emotional attachment between the two is only shown by Heer and not Jordan. We never see Jordan fall in love for Heer but Heer falling for Jordan during her weeding. Later on her story arc also develops on its own from her deciding to cheat to her disease.

[@vishalratdiya1234]

Nice video

[@adisunman2679]

bump

[@philosophyofart2164]

I like you

[@tanvitripathi3997]

I am writing a story of a journey of a depressed man who wants to overcome the trauma of his wife's death and recover his memory loss caused by trauma. Their past journey has imperfections of both people and the problems and solutions. (I don't think it's Miss Dead perfect as his life was good which was destroyed by the wife death.) Waise what is problematic in manie pixie dream girl if a character has an arc.

[@guerillahag]

the easiest i can respond to real life discussions on this topic is to say, "geet cannot be a manic pixie dream girl because i know like four women like her IRL"

[@h.hholmes.492]

yeh yeh yeh yeh yehi

[@GoofyChaiLoverGirl]

True, Geet is not manic pixie dream girl

[@subharthibhattacharya1340]

I'd like to know your insights in this context on Tara from Tamasha. Although, she was given some space in the film, she does fit the definition of Manic Pixie Dream Girl, doesn't she?

[@Cinemawali]

Yes, I'm always wondering about that myself. I think the filmmaker atleast TRIED to show her as a whole character by following her journey through a song so I'm not entirely mad at her character. Besides, I think the film is more about her finding a manic pixie dream boy and then realising he's not like that in real life. So then he goes through a transformation. But there are many ways to interpret a film so it's really up to you. :)

[@anharr4662]

Can Bhoomika in tere naam and Asin in ghajni be miss dead perfect examples ???

[@Cinemawali]

I haven't seen Tere Naam but Asin in Ghajini for sure.

[@anharr4662]

Anyone who haven't seen tere naam it's very toxic and emotional ,to understand the how little of a space was given to the female lead watch Onlydesi 's tere naam revist .

[@raja-jl9os]

​​​@@anharr4662 north people and critics have problem with mass movies sayad isliye bollywood ka conviction biagd gaya h muje yaad nhi bollywood ne kab acha mass movie banya tha 😂 even people hate rrr

[@indranilguchhayat1779]

the prefrontal cortex is not developed.