The upcoming Tamil film Bad Girl, directed by Varsha Bharath, once again highlights the growing bias within the regional film industry against the Brahmin community. It is common to see the Brahmin identity of a protagonist emphasized when the character is portrayed negatively, while it is conveniently downplayed or hidden when the character holds a positive role. A prime example of this can be seen in the film Amaran, where the Brahmin identity of Major Mukund Vardarajan was intentionally omitted despite him being a central figure.
The teaser of the upcoming movie Bad Girl written and directed by Varsha Bharath was released on the 26th of January. The film focuses on the coming-of-age story of a teenager navigating societal expectations and her own desires by depicting Brahmin values in an unfavorable light.
The teaser introduces a young woman, played by Anjali Sivaraman, who comes from the Brahmin community and candidly expresses how she has always wanted a boyfriend. The Brahmin girl who is the lead protagonist of the movie then embarks on a journey to embrace her sexual feelings. She then, enters into a relationship with a boy with whom she develops sexual relations.
‘Bad Girl’ director Varsha about wanting to break the narrative of women being portrayed as flowers, pure, Pathini (chaste & devoted), motherly/godly because it was too much pressure for women.
Makes sense, “Enjoyment without responsibility” is D value.pic.twitter.com/5KLBR9C4bg
— Tamil Labs 2.0 (@labstamil) January 26, 2025
The portrayal of girl’s family as controlling and judgmental seems designed to reinforce a negative stereotype of Brahmin households as rigid and oppressive. The film suggests that these families are outdated, unable to accept their children’s desires, which seems to paint the community in a one-dimensional, regressive light. The plot of the movie is all about how a young girl gives away her Brahmin values and breaks her ‘shackles’ which society has had her wear since she was born.
Interestingly, being physical is the only freedom the Indian movie industry can think of when it comes to promoting feminism. The same has been their go to narrative to showcase feminism on the larger screen, be it the case in Four More shots, Heera Mandi, Deepika Padukone starrer Gehraiyaan among others, where the film goes on to limit feminism as nothing but a radical approach towards established virtues.
It is shocking how none of the Tamil Directors ever dared to narrate the story of Tamil Brahmin genocide or about the discrimination and persecution the micro minority community has been long facing on a regular basis. But what the Tamil movie Directors can effectively think is to use the Tamil Brahmin women, to break the shackles of Hindu values.
Filmmaker Mohan G Kshatriyan has come up to lash out at the film, calling it a “bold and refreshing” take on Brahmin life, but not in a positive way. Mohan G Kshatriyan expressed his concern on social media, accusing the filmmakers, including Vetri Maaran and Anurag Kashyap, of targeting Brahmin families for shock value.
Portraying a brahmin girl personal life is always a bold and refreshing film for this clan. What more can be expected from vetrimaran, Anurag kasyap & Co.. Bashing Brahmin father and mother is old and not trendy.. Try with your own caste girls and showcase it to your own family… https://t.co/XP8mtnaFws
— Mohan G Kshatriyan (@mohandreamer) January 27, 2025
While Bad Girl aims to depict a woman’s journey of self-discovery and empowerment, it chooses to position Brahmin values as an obstacle to her freedom. By focusing on the friction between the protagonist’s personal desires and the supposed rigidity of her Brahmin upbringing, the film aims to demonise a significant portion of the society that is the Brahmin community.
Bad Girl (2025) pic.twitter.com/ztgBySQfzd
— Films and Stuffs (@filmsandstuffs) January 27, 2025
Additionally, the teaser includes contentious dialogues on gender debate as it furthers toxic feminism. For example, in one scene, two female actors can be seen conversing on Boys where one says, “I think we should kill all men”, to which the other replies, “But I like having s*x with them”. Ironically, apart from the controversial filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, those supporting the radical feminist film Bad Girl are the same usual suspects who created hue and cry against Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal for promoting “toxic masculinity.”
Nonetheless, in an era where Anti-Brahmin and Anti-Hindu sentiment is at its peak, creating a film like this in a state where the Deputy Chief Minister openly advocates for the annihilation of Sanatan Dharma and where Anti-Brahmin rhetoric and persecution are part of daily discourse, the movie comes across as nothing more than propaganda targeting Hindus and Brahmins.
