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Great review , get it published
Haven’t watched it yet, will do so now!
I resisted watching Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui for as long as I could –the trailer left a bitter aftertaste with its concoction of toxic masculinity and cisgender cast portraying a transgender character, upholding the harmful ideas that trans people aren’t who we say we are.
The critically analyzed reviews written by the queer-trans folks were enough to satisfy my curioisty for a while: the overarching consensus was that though the film went undeniably wrong by casting a cis actor for a trans character, the plot was woven with the thoughtful intent to embrace transness.
Come Friday night, my parents and I settled down in front of the TV with beers to mark the end of another week of being cooped up with Omicron. I switched on the TV to find Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui sprawled across the screen, its splattered-purple-crystal-like poster melodramatically making itself known.
My despair about the delays in getting gender-affirming care couldn’t resist it: the mode of wanting to consume everything trans-related for second-hand euphoria took over, and I played the movie, telling myself it will be part of my independent research on misrepresentation of trans people and narratives in media.
In contrast to my stiffness, my parents let loose, chuckling at the subtle style of humor delivered by Ayushman Khurrana’s character Manu, a weightlifter and “certified fitness provider” who is determined to establish his business, “Jatts Flex It Gym'' while training to become the GOAT (Gabru of All Time) in Chandigarh.
From the beginning, the movie echoes subtle and overt controlled complexities of patriarchy: the women in Manu’s house serve the men sitting at the table, and make it their life’s ambition to find a wife for their brother, while Manu is focused on his muscles, protein powder shakes, keto diet, amino supplements, intermittent fasting and carefully maintained caloric intake.
Vani Kapoor’s character, Manvi, is a fun-loving licensed Zumba instructor who recently moved from Ambala to Chandigarh, and is trying to live her best life while getting over a past love who isn’t worth her time, while transforming Jatts Flex It Gym to a new level of success through pumped-up-beats —continued: https://bit.ly/31S4tyI