Have you ever noticed that representation of marriages in Bollywood has mostly concentrated around the challenges faced by women? We seldom ever see the pain and dilemma faced by husbands. We have scourged and made a list of movies that present the struggles that husbands go through! These movies provide a different view on the dynamics of marriage from a man’s perspective, ranging from social constraints to personal conflicts.
Let’s get into 10 Bollywood Movies that portray the pain of husbands!
1. Ki & Ka (2016)
- Genre: Comedy/Romance
- Run Time: 126 minutes
- Director: R. Balki
- Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Swaroop Sampat
- IMDb Rating: 5.7/10
“Ki & Ka” is not one of your typical love stories in Bollywood. Directed by R. Balki, the movie takes a new perspective on gender roles in marriage. Starring Kareena Kapoor Khan as Kia, the ambitious career woman, and Arjun Kapoor as Kabir, the stay-at-home husband. In the movie, we see the challenges faced by Kabir as a house-husband. Kabir’s masculinity is questioned every time people raise their eyebrows at his choice of being a house husband. For example, he might experience self-doubt and feel that leaving work strips him of his sense of purpose. Although Kia revels in her job, Kabir tends to feel estranged at home due to a lack of adult conversations and intellectual interactions.
2. Badhai Ho (2018)
- Genre: Comedy/Drama
- Run Time: 124 minutes
- Director: Amit Sharma
- Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta, “Badhai Ho” is a comingofage comedy drama directed by Amit Sharma. When an unexpected pregnancy greets an elderly couple, their lives are upturned in a heartwarming comedy. In the movie, we see the father’s routine being destroyed by the unexpected pregnancy, and his manliness is tested as a result of it. He feels that he has lost control of his life and fears what other people might think. Additionally, he also faces judgement from his sons. This compounds the emotional demands placed on him when he is already vulnerable.
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3. Two States (2014)
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Run Time: 149 minutes
- Director: Abhishek Varman
- Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amrita Singh, Ronit Roy
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Directed by Abhishek Verma, “Two States” is a romantic drama adapted from a novel of the same name by Chetan Bhagat. The story follows a boy named Krish (Arjun Kapoor) who is Punjabi and a Tamilian girl named Ananya (Alia Bhatt) who fall in love with each other at the business school. Both fall in love but have numerous obstacles to overcome on their way to marriage, like Krish’s mother being overprotective. Krish is often caught between love and family. Ananya means everything to him, but he has a strong need to make his mom happy, who does not appreciate her South Indian daughter-in-law. Often stuck between two opinionated women, namely his mother and Ananya, Krish finds it difficult to assert himself.
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4. Bahubali 2 (2017)
- Genre: Action/Fantasy
- Run Time: 171 minutes
- Director: S.S. Rajamouli
- Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty
- IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
“Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)” is a blockbuster movie directed by S.S. Rajamouli. This blockbuster epic fantasy film, starring Prabhas, delves into the life of Amarendra Bahubali, showing us past events. In this movie, we see an intricate tale about the agony a son feels when he is torn between duty and love. Severely bound to his mother Shivagami (Ramya Krishnan), Amarendra also holds deep affection for his spouse Devasena (Anushka Shetty). On the other hand, fueled by past betrayals, Shivagami harbours suspicion against Devasena creating tension within their family. At one point, Amarendra leaves his throne for his wife and is forced to live as a commoner.
5. Ghar Jamai (1992)
- Genre: Comedy/Drama
- Run Time: 140 minutes
- Director: Arun Bhatt
- Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Varsha Usgaonkar, Rita Bhaduri, Vikram Gokhale
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Arun Bhatt’s “Ghar Jamai (1992)” is a Bollywood comedy that’s lighthearted at first glance. But, beneath humour and family drama, the film subtly narrates the suffering and trials of husbands in unconventional marriages. Anil (Mithun Chakraborty) is a principled man who gets married to Mona (Varsha Usgaonkar) with the agreement that he should live with her family. At first, the movie highlights comic scenes from this arrangement, but gradually we see how Anil is affected emotionally. Living at his wife’s house, Anil grapples with feeling like an outsider. He always receives mild reminders that he does not belong, especially from his motherinlaw. Men’s struggles in unconventional marriages are often ignored, as the film aptly shows.
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6. Haseen Dilruba (2021)
- Genre: Mystery/Thriller
- Run Time: 135 minutes
- Director: Vinil Mathew
- Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Harshvardhan Rane
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Haseen Dilruba (2021), directed by Vinil Mathew, is a thrilling psychological drama that dives into the intricacies of a troubled marriage. The story follows Haseena (Taapsee Pannu) and Rishabh (Vikrant Massey) in an arranged marriage. There is some indication in the film that there was no emotional bonding between Rishabh and Haseena. He felt ignored and yearned for love and closeness, which their relationship lacked. To add on to it, we also see Rishabh’s struggles as he deals with Haseena cheating on him and backing her up despite.
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7. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
- Genre: Romance/Musical
- Run Time: 164 minutes
- Director: Aditya Chopra
- Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak, Aneesha Dalal
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed by Aditya Chopra, “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” is a romance movie starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. The movie follows Surinder and Taani and how they fall in love in their loveless marriage. While Surinder loves Taani, she doesn’t give herself fully into the relationship and forms a bond with Raj Kapoor (which is Surinder in disguise). We see his disappointment as she starts falling for Raj Kapoor instead. Here, we witness how much a husband sacrifices to be loved and accepted by his wife.
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8. Jalebi (2018)
- Genre: Romance/Musical
- Run Time: 112 minutes
- Director: Pushpdeep Bhardwaj
- Cast: Varun Mitra, Rhea Chakraborty, Digangana Suryavanshi
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Directed by Pushpdeep Bhardwaj, and produced by Mahesh Bhatt, Jalebi (2018) is a heartbreaking love story that focuses on missed opportunities and “what would have happened if” situations. The story is shown in present and past flashbacks, wherein a successful writer named Aisha (Rhea Chakraborty) faces her ex-husband on a train journey. We see how her husband tried to make the marriage work, but Rhea’s ambitions made her break the marriage off. In the present, we see the husband’s turmoil as he faces Aisha while currently having a wife and kids.
9. Shaadi Ke Side Effects (2014)
- Genre: Comedy/Romance
- Run Time: 145 minutes
- Director: Saket Chaudhary
- Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Vidya Balan, Ram Kapoor, Vir Das
- IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
“Shaadi Ke Side Effects” is a 2014 comedy drama directed by Saket Chaudhary.This sidesplitting comedy explores the maze of married life after the birth of a baby. It’s about Sid (Farhan Akhtar) and Trisha (Vidya Balan), who go through the hilarious but also touching experience of raising their first child. Sid, at first presented as an easygoing and happy-go-lucky spouse, has problems conforming to the limitations and duties that come along with fatherhood. He senses a loss of freedom and individuality. The film humorously presents Sid’s early missteps in caring for his child, which makes him feel inferior next to Trisha’s maternal skills, which seem so natural to her.
10. Judaai (1997)
- Genre: Drama/Family
- Run Time: 160 minutes
- Director: Raj Kanwar
- Cast: Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Urmila Matondkar
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Directed by Raj Kanwar, “Judaai” is a rollercoaster ride of drama and emotions. The story revolves around Kajal (Sridevi) a materialistic wife who “sold” her husband Raj (Anil Kapoor) to Jahnvi (Urmila Matondkar). The film, however, goes further in showing the sufferings that Raj experiences as a result. Kajal’s actions ruin the faith Raj has in his spouse. She sells her husband so that she can get money from another woman who can take good care of him. Raj, an honest and kindhearted person, conceals his anger and frustration from Kajal since they are still parents trying to keep things together for their children.
We hope you like the list we have curated here! Men also have their fair share of troubles that are mostly overlooked. These movies do a great job of showcasing them to the audience.
