Decoupled

I should stop expecting quality content from projects just because it has people who are talented and because their previous works were impressive. Decoupled on Netflix was a torture to sit through. Somehow Indian creators are cursed with some form of insecurity that even when they have ideas that could become into something really good, they have to destroy it by adding unnecessary elements, dialogues and insensitivity in the name of comedy and to show that they are edgy. The number of movies which would be actually a decent watch, if one would edit the hell off, the so-called elements, are so many in this country.

Decoupled was cursed the same way, I mean what else could be the reason why someone like Hardik Mehta who created brilliant movies like Kaamyaab, Amdavad Ma Famous, or someone like Vikramaditya Motwane who produced amazing projects, agreed to bring together, this train wreck ?

In a fangirling, rather outlandish theory, I really hope R. Madhavan, Surveen Chawla, Hardik Mehta and Vikramaditya Motwane, had a very serious financial crisis that they had to agree to do this or actually went through the series, without once thinking what they are doing. But that doesn't excuse them from acting in scenes and mouthing dialogues which are so obnoxious, misogynistic and insensitive to say the least. 

I also find it rather surprising how when a generally loved actor like R. Madhavan mouths words like " Thin women are all the same, but fat women are all fat in different ways" or a talented actress like Surveen Chawla agrees to hilariously laugh at another woman because she is "photogenic waist up", are all brushed under the carpet. 

They deserve to be called out as much as the creators who find "little acts of violence, a part of love" or actors who are ok to perform that on screen (if you know, you know).

That brings me to the man of the hour and root cause of the issue with the series, writer, Manu Joseph. Mr. Manu Joseph, I am sure you are very well accomplished but I unfortunately haven't had the chance to read your books or to watch the movie Serious Men, the adaptation of your book. So, I am seriously unaware of your work and as an introduction if I may say so, this one really gave me a headache. Being in 2021, you didn't feel it irresponsible writing scenes depicting, Gurgaon maids as ugly women with only ‘inner beauty’, insensitively representing a woman as a comic element just because she doesn't fit into the physique you aspire women to be? and repeatedly using the terms "Eunuchs" when for a decade or so the term has been referred to be derogative towards the Transgender community? Oh wait, the character Mayank does correct it once, only for another character Agni to repeat the word multiple times. Also if you are going to say, the narrative throughout the storytelling was high end sarcasm that we, the regular audiences just couldn't grasp (I read few other critics mention, that is common in your creations, especially Serious Men), then sorry sir, abridging what Agni says in one scene, "I just cannot stand men who from their privilage try to sell off,  half decent yet surface level observations on society and people, in the name of sarcastic humour. It's too lowbrow, man". 

Being a journalist and writer, you must know better, for crying out loud. Otherwise, on second thought, in the series you had Chetan Bhagat as a rival writer to the main character of your story and if it's real, which I hope not, but if it is, then that says quite a lot.

And for the love of Universe, please get a new person to select projects for you Netflix, especially for your Indian originals. I wish you took seriously in real life, comment made by the character who acted as representative of Netflix in the series, "The scenes just don't work and the humor is just not landing".  

Giving a very thin benefit of doubt, I would still like to think the series had couple of moments or ideas which was good on paper but when it came to execution just got stained by the classist, sexist and privileged gaze of people who created it.  Also, how can I ever erase the fact that, the series also contributes heavily to portraying men as “only” sexual beings, catering to the stereotype that all men want in life is “sex” or to quote the writer “To get laid, all the time”. No “Not all men” cry over this? None? Who am I kidding? That is reserved only when an issue related to any gender other than men is raised, I guess.

In conclusion, the bearable parts of Decoupled are included in the trailer or go to YouTube and watch some of the promotional gigs done for the series, which I found to be much better. If you insist, you can find Decoupled on Netflix but I highly suggest you don't. 

Picture Courtesy: YouTube, Netflix, IMDb