Rahul Ravindran: Smashing Patriarchy One Cinema at a Time

Childhood Socialization, Household Labor & The “Daughter Penalty”

My mother is a working professional, and whenever she's busy, the entire household falls upon me, while my younger brother has no accountability... From age two or three, if mothers teach their sons to fold clothes, clean, and cook, they won't grow up thinking 'that's not my job.' And men shouldn't expect an award for cleaning their own house—it's your home too.

Cinema Tropes, 'Soup Boy' Revenge & Empathetic Intervention

Devdases were becoming soup boys... A Devdas drinks himself to death, but a soup boy says 'I will make sure you suffer because you cost me pain'—and that revenge was being glorified... Also, in cinema, sexual violence is often used as a frivolous, throwaway plot point just to elevate a male hero. That needs to stop... My mother taught me: if a group is making fun of someone, look at the victim's reaction, not the crowd.

Structural Feminism, Relationship Reciprocity & Male Accountability

To me, feminism means addressing systemic structures that deny equal freedom, dignity, respect, and opportunity to women... If men want a working wife for a double income, they can't expect her to do the 'second shift' alone at home... The next time you order your girlfriend, ask if you'd be okay if she treated you the same way... And stop blaming the victim based on how she dressed or if she was drunk—men must hold themselves accountable.

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