Film makes pots of money, ignites debate on women’s rights
BEIJING: Besides making a large pot of money in China, Aamir Khan’s Dangal has triggered a robust online debate on the state of feminism in a country where feminists are often frowned upon for being too radical in their views.
The debate of course is just part of the ripple that Dangal has created in urban China – among the audience and at the box office register.
“Indian film Dangal has earned more than 450 million yuan ($ 65 million) in 11 days, becoming the highest grossing Indian movie in China,’’ official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. ChinaFilmInsider reported that “Dangal crushes Hollywood heavyweight, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2”.
The reasons behind the success were analysed in the Xinhua report: “The ideas of breaking gender roles and reforming education inspired by the film have struck a chord with many Chinese parents.” But as it turns out, rather ironically, some criticised the movie for its “patriarchal” values, according to the nationalistic Global Times tabloid.
“The father’s values make me vomit; he forces his daughters to live a certain type of life with his dream, with money and becoming a champion. You think the movie is about breaking gender stereotypes, but it’s knee-deep in prejudice,” a viewer said.
The crux of the argument is this – the girls were not given a chance by their father to live their lives and were forced into wrestling. The debate, of course, hasn’t been a one-sided bout. Many praised the movie for breaking gender stereotypes, saying Aamir Khan’s character taught his daughters to have an independent spirit.
As the debate rages on, only a single winner will emerge from it and that’s the movie.