Toxic Trend Exposed: “Heroes Have Become Villains”

Farhan Akhtar’s new film, 120 Bahadur has been released. The movie has faced several ups and downs, with many fans suspecting that paid reviews were used to create hype and draw attention before release.

As the internet debates this, another topic related to Farhan is trending. In a recent interview, he spoke about something in Bollywood that he strongly dislikes. His comments have sparked a fresh conversation online.

When asked about his biggest concern, Farhan said he hated how women are portrayed in some films. He mentioned reaching out to a few people in the industry who he felt he could influence. According to him, they understood why he urged them to be more mindful.

Farhan pointed out that women are often shown as sexual objects meant for the male gaze. They are written mainly for the hero to romance, rescue or pursue. He said this trend has become more visible over the years.

He explained that earlier, it was usually the villains who misbehaved with women and objectified them. They were ultimately punished for such acts. But today, those lines have blurred, and heroes are often shown doing similar things to impress or pressure the female lead.

Farhan believes films have a deep impact on society. He said young boys might assume such behaviour is acceptable if they see their heroes mistreating women on-screen. He questioned why audiences praise the positive influence of films like Lakshya, Rang De Basanti and Munna Bhai but ignore negative impact.

He added that showing certain visuals may be needed to reflect reality, but the perspective behind them matters more. According to him, Bollywood has glorified sexualisation and objectification as a way for the woman to fall for the male lead.

He stressed that filmmakers have a major responsibility because films shape public perception. He said they should not dismiss problematic portrayals as harmless entertainment, especially when shown to such a large audience.