Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety is a dim-witted ode to misogyny

Before you ask me to ‘Chill, it is just a movie yaar’ or tell me how, ‘if I wanted something serious, I would have just stayed home and read a newspaper’ (yes, someone told me that), let me just throw some light on your ignorance. The rate at which this movie’s offensive plot had my blood pressure shooting is directly proportional to the director’s talentlessness.

This movie has the potential to offend any sensitive or, rather, sensible feminist in his/her senses to becoming what is, perhaps, every male chauvinist’s nightmare. 

Basically, according to Luv Ranjan, women come in two kinds. The stereotypical woman who is the ideal wife and gives you multiple orgasms along with baajre ki roti and is a perfect housekeeper to keep your ego game on point all day (well, sanskaariAF). Or the sort who loves sex and ensures all your ‘needs’ are fulfilled because fulfilling your dreams of objectifying her as a sex object is the closest either of you have ever been to liberalisation.

At the theatre, I find myself surrounded by men who whistle and women who laugh at every sexist dialogue mouthed by Sonu, Titu and his uncles. The laughter essentially translates into, ‘ladkiyan toh hoti hi aisi hain‘, ‘so glad I am not one of those’ or the classic ‘I have always been one of the boys’! 

NEWS FLASH: These statements are equally problematic as they only reinstate the gender norms embedded in our mindsets by years of patriarchy. 

The movie begins with Titu feeling heartbroken after a break-up. Of course, Titu is the gullible boy who falls into the lap of the wrong woman (basically, women) every single time. Then we have Sonu, who is the woke AF, sensible, informed human (informed about all the shit that women put men through) and is, basically, the ultimate saviour in Titu’s life. 

Sonu cannot bear the fact that Titu got his heart broken by a girl. In an ode to Archimedes, Sonu also includes a weird calculation bit in his rant concluding that the happiness rate in Titu’s relationship is almost non-existent. To cut short, going by the famous ‘Bros before Hoes’ sentiment (which these two live up to, until the very end) Sonu makes Titu choose either his girlfriend or him. 

Scene cut to the next dance sequence. The setting is basically every Yo Yo Honey Singh song, only more problematic and cringe-worthy. Sonu is ready to open doors for Titu to a world of babes ready to twerk as the boys ogle at them happily, basically doing the one thing they are needed for – SEX. I choose to look past this and I am glad I did because what awaited next was worse.

Cut to six months later, like I mentioned, Titu finds the perfect bride ‘Sweety’ and decides to marry her. Sonu, whose extremely obsessive behaviour has been ignored by the Indian audience under the false pretence of humour, cannot bear the fact that his friend is getting married. So much that while Titu and Sweety are having a conversation alone, you watch Sonu get extremely restless and tense. Maybe, such obsessive behaviour is extremely normal in Luv Ranjan’s Universe as ‘Bros’ are the real MVP in the life of ‘real dudes’. 

But here is where Luv Ranjan proves how dim-witted he really is, except one scene where Sweety accepts that she is ‘chaalu‘, nowhere in the film does he care to explain the reason for her behaviour. Oh! Sorry, my bad! Sweety is a girl, that’s why. 

Anyway, moving on, in an attempt to be an understanding friend, Sonu briefs Titu about how he understands his ‘sexual needs’. He further clarifies that they completely forgot about the second category of girls in Luv Ranjan’s Universe, the progressive, ‘ready-to-fuck-without-getting-married’ girls. He ensures him that he does not have to conduct a horrendous crime like marriage because of his carnal demands (not a mere need). For the sake of my own sanity, I would like to fast forward the remaining series of scenes that showcase Sonu’s obsessive and sexist behaviour. My sensitivity threw up as I watched the problematic battle between ‘Bromance’ and ‘Romance’. 

To seal the deal, Sweety informs Sonu about how Indian law states that having sex with a woman under the false promise of marriage is a punishable offence. Cut to next scene, she slyly talks Titu into sex and exhibits a final showdown in front of Sonu. Hence, reinstating notions like these in a country where half the population (consisting largely of meninists) advocates its ideas on the basis of the few rare cases of false rape accusations and misuse of women rights. Which not only involves a lack of understanding of privilege but also looks past the lack of access to basic rights for the larger female population of the country. 

Anyway, our very obsessive Sonu now takes Titu to Amsterdam for a bachelor party where he calls Titu’s ex-girlfriend to impart sense into the man. Because the girl does not have a life of her own, we find her flying down to Amsterdam, dancing in a backless top, ready to seduce Titu. However, things do not work out the way Sonu plans them out. He further talks Titu into inviting his ex to the wedding and, considering the girl still does not have a life, she flies back with the guys for the marriage. In an attempt to understand Sonu’s intelligence, his uncle asks him to let it go as both the girls are equally ‘harmful’ and he should just let Titu marry Sweety. You see, the battle was never out of Sonu’s concern for Titu’s well-being, it was just about a girl like Sweety hurting Sonu’s Fragile Male Ego. Reinstating my point, Sonu finally showcases his Ego in a statement referring to both the girls as ‘Poison’ where he has already sucked the previous poison out and disposed her as per his convenience. The audience still refuses to see the problem and laughs along as I sat there in disbelief that he just equalised women to disposable items. 

The movie ends as a tribute to ‘Bros before Hoes’ where despite his obsessive behaviour, Titu still chooses Sonu as he cries on the stage asking him to choose between either him or Sweety. You see, if a boy cries, it is something serious after all. 

Anyway, as the marriage is called off, men discuss money while women curse each other, empowering Luv Ranjan’s Universe and our society’s gender norms. I walk out of the theatre as another cringe-worthy song about a ‘Bad Gurl who Luvz Whiskey’ plays and the audience cannot seem to be happier. 

In a world where movies reflect us and our notions while influencing millions of mindsets, I love how Luv Ranjan’s PhD in Misogyny and Meninism seems to get a hundred percent attendance. Why bother with sensitivity, responsibility and informed opinions after all, right?