A world, where men and not women are under threat, where men disappear leaving their clothes behind – stuff of fantasy? A woman spirit avenges men who disrespect women in a smart manner. Stree is a movie in the current universe, which has challenged stereotypes and wonder of wonders is getting commercial and popular acceptance for turning a cliche on its head.
The very idea, where men are afraid to go out in the darkness of the night, is the stuff of disbelief. For those who think the lack of safety plagues only the female of the species, this was certainly an alternative viewpoint. While the idea is fantastical, any right thinking (and not right-leaning) individual would protest because the ideal is not to build a safe world just for women but society in general. And a scheme where women are the reason for men to be afraid to go out can at most be the butt of slightly off-key gender jokes but certainly not a part of a utopian world. Having said that a place where women are safe and where they can claim the streets certainly features high on the list of things that are desirable – certainly more than the right to expose and cater to the male gaze. Crores at the ticket windows mean the Indian audience is evolving rapidly and that a good story, no matter how unusual, told well sells.
