Jasmeet K. Reen’s directorial debut,  ‘Darlings’ was released on 5th August 2022 on Netflix. Starring Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Sharma, and Roshan Mathew as the main leads, the film has received much appreciation for focusing on domestic abuse and addiction – a social issue affecting many.  

With brilliant performances by the leads, the film can feel real and relatable given our culture that normalizes and encourages intimate partner violence. A dark comedy film, Darlings, can often make you feel a part that feels Badru’s (Alia Bhatt) pain and gets agitated over Hamza’s (Vijay Sharma) behavior. With a few hard-hitting moments, the film can be a little triggering and gory to watch, but the plus definitely outweighs the minus in the movie. It is quite a risk taken to attempt to portray a social issue through dark comedy and satire. We see the film creatively addressing the problem of domestic violence, and the performances make you feel fresh. The storyline keeps you engaged and hooked, and while you laugh at some of the most tragic moments in the film, one cannot forget that it’s about shattered hopes and dreams. It’s about ignoring the red flags in our intimate relationships. Here are a few ways the film tried to show what red flags look like in intimate relationships –  

1. They wear a mask  

 

The often loving and caring Hamza has his hands across Badru’s face within the blink of an eye at the slightest inconvenience caused. His addiction and abusive traits are usually left with doubts and suspicions because he has also shown his loving side. This gaslights Badru into believing that “he is not in control of his anger once drunk.” Or, “It’s just the alcohol; otherwise, he loves me a lot.” 

 

2. They are misogynists  

 

While this one may not be the much spoken of a red flag, misogyny is a serious one. Hamza often commented on how Badru didn’t know how to cook/clean well, how she wasn’t enough of a good wife, and how she kept aspiring for more when she couldn’t take care of what she had. These portrayals in the film depict our society’s real cases where people believe it’s okay to hit wives if they fail to live up to the expected ideals of a god wife. These ideals include cooking, cleaning, looking after the children, respecting husband and in-laws, etc.  

 

3. They are unwilling to change  

 

Hamza, a drunk addict in the movie, is unwilling to give up on his drinking habits even with all the attempts that Badru makes. His addiction makes him more distant from his conscious self, making it harder to work on his well-being, unlearn his past toxic traits, and learn healthier alternative ways of behavior – the requirements for an abuse-free relationship.  

 

4. They disrespect your support system  

Hamza couldn’t respect Badru’s mother, who was her sole strong support system. Instead, he often disrespected her, targeted her character, abused her, and mocked their relationship. He did so because her mother’s support threatened him and made him feel less potent to abuse Badru. Abusers often don’t approve of the victim’s support system as they consider them hurdles.  

5. You are scared of them  

 

When Badru realizes that Hamza knows Zulfi filed a complaint against him, Badru feels petrified. She is scared of the suspicions he will lay on her and tries hiding away from him. There is no one instance where she feels afraid of her partner; there are many. That’s how intimate abuse operates –instilling fear and horror in people to conform to the abuser’s demands.  

 

Amidst all these red flags, as is the case in reality, most women or romantic partners find it hard to leave abusive relationships. They struggle to make it work and believe that things will change someday. While some do it out of love, some do it out of guilt, and many others out of dependency.   

 

Overall, while the movie could capture the above well, there were a few critical pointers that we as consumers must remember –  

 

1. Domestic violence is a reality globally; it is not limited to one religion or class of people.  

2. Every survivor might not have a supportive mother like Badru did.  

3. Every survivor might not have a person like Zulfi who would register an anonymous police complaint – a legally appropriate behavior to support survivors of domestic violence.  

4. Life for survivors of domestic violence can be much more brutal and less fun than the movie portrayed.  

If you or somebody you know is experiencing domestic violence, red flags in relationships, or intimate partner violence, please reach out to our Support Executives and Mental Health Counselors through the ‘Engage’ and ‘Support’ Verticals available on the app.  

 

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Image Credits – Wikipedia