Wednesday, November 4, 2026

What Indian movie do you love despite being so misogynistic/otherwise problematic?

 I am not sure whether how many will be able to relate with the misogynistic angle that I am trying to state. Hope the answer is taken in the correct sense. Misogyny is not just hatred of women but it leads further to sex based discrimination, lower social status in society, sexual harrasment and exploitation of women.

The film which I would like to mention is Matrubhoomi: A Nation without Women. The film highlights on gender imbalance due to female infanticide in a village and depicts the future where the village is highly populated by males.

Sudhir Pandey is a father of five young men who buys a young girl named Kalki (played by Tulip Joshi) from her father. She is married to all the five sons and each night she is forced to sleep with one of them, including Sudhir Pandey.

There is only one son who treats Kalki with respect which leads Kalki to develop a bond for him. However the good guy is killed by his brothers due to jealousy.

Kalki seeks help from her father who refuses to help her as he had taken a hefty amount as dowry ( in one way he had sold his daughter).

On the contrary when Kalki informs her father that Sudhir Pandey is also involved in the disgusting act, the matter is settled by paying an additional One Lakh.

Kalki tries to escape with the help of a domestic servant boy but the servant is also murdered by the brothers. Kalki is back in captivity and is chained in a cow shed. A game of revenge begins as the lower caste community of the village holds Kalki responsible for the death of the servant boy and avenge the murder through gang rape after which Kalki is sent back to her husbands.

Kalki is pregnant and all rejoice. Every man in the area is shown claiming paternity of the unborn child. The film ends on a violent but hopeful note. All brothers, Sudhir Pandey and many are killed claiming their rights on Kalki and the unborn child and Kalki giving birth to a, “Baby Girl”.

Though it is a disturbing saga about mistreatment of women the movie has a message.

The film starts with a new born baby girl being killed and ends with Kalki giving birth to a baby girl. After all the mistreatment and torture there is a smile on Kalki's face when she gives birth to a baby girl. The director has his vision to convey the point. As a filmmaker there are two extreme ways to deal with a subject. One is to put up facts and the other is to show the consequences.


Just like some people understand the ill effects of smoking by the Statutory Warning, “Cigarette smoking is injurious to health” but others are impacted by the horrifying visuals. Director Manish Jha chose the other way round. Killing or not wanting a girl when everyone at last wants to marry and settle down.

Through this movie director Manish Jha deals with the emotional and psychological impact of a society without women. Matrubhoomi: A whole nation without women.

Image(s) Courtesy: Google