Dangal - Why was the craze?

Taare Zameen Par

3 Idiots

Whats the point?

Leave the young ones be themselves. Appreciate their uniqueness and build their strength. And then Aamir Khan's Dangal father does exactly the opposite and there is critical acclaim for that too.

So no one is able to see here what I see? A father who wanted to achieve great things and could not, pushing his daughters to achieve that for him. Isn't this same as every other Indian parent who could not become a doctor, IAS, get into prestigious schools or study abroad and want their kids to fulfill these wishes? The sport itself or patriotism should not drive the conversation away from the helplessness of young girls who are deprived of their femininity and are pushed to be something they did not choose to. Yes, after a while, the girls do like the magic in the sport and become competitive. That does not and should not prove that it is ok to push the children for a 'greatness' you perceive.

But my problem is not simply the pushy father. About girls and the lessons we teach them unknowingly. In the second half of the movie, the first daughter 'steers off the way' by growing her hair and painting her nails. She is even confronted by her sister about this. Are we attaching masculinity to the sports? Isn't that irony if we are trying to promote female athletics and athletes?

In the movie, 'Bala' there are two prime female candidates to prove my point. A dark skinned lawyer who considers all girls who dress up to be dumb and a fair skinned, well groomed content creator who thinks beauty is the only way she can succeed or even survive in the world. But as we see in the court drama scene, the argument which Yami Gautam makes is profound and hits hard. So she is capable of things beyond her appearance. Just that she was never told so or even considered so as Indian society has only school performance as yard stick for intelligence.

The problem is to look at things as mutually exclusive with the growing need for a harmonious civilization.