DCIB Zoom Discussion Questions: Phool Aur Patthar! Join the Discussion in the Comments!

Woot, Zoom meeting! As always, I tried to come up with some discussion questions and write a summary of our answers. And I want to hear what you all who couldn’t come think too!

Awesome movie, Dharmendra is a thief who finds widowed Meena Kumari alone in a mansion dying of illness, having been abandoned by her cruel in-laws. He nurses her to health and, when her abusive family returns, rescues her and invites her to come home with him so he can keep her safe. Lots of intense chemistry and silent yearning ensues, until he finally proposes and she accepts, just in time to be KIDNAPPED. And then there is a courtroom scene and it all somehow resolves very quickly.

First question! If we are going to rank thieves in terms sensitivity and caring (and why not?), what order would you put Dharmendra in this, SRK in Happy New Year, Hrithik in Bang Bang?

Dharmendra, Hrithik, Shahrukh! Dharmendra is just so sensitive and angsty! And Shahrukh in Happy New Year is, frankly, not the best Shahrukh.

Tuffy or Dabbu, who is the better hero dog?

Dabbu! He is a well-rounded character, playing Holi and also jumping on the car.

Did you like Meena Kumari or Rita better as a character in this?

Definitely a virgin-vamp character situation, Rita is just bad because she is bad, she doesn’t actually do anything bad. And her costumes were dress up. Meena was too passive and doesn’t DO anything almost all the time, and only has the one costume. She’s not very human, “It’s kind of like they can make you hate woman no matter what” (Naina quote).

Do you agree with Meena that Dharmendra should stop stealing?

Naina’s theory, “She’s trying to hold on to herself, even if it’s a strange morality. She is standing up for her values even in this new strange world”. On the other hand, we all agree that she is on the money with his violent reactions. She doesn’t object to self-defense, but she stops him when he is about to kill someone.

Does Meena come off as too fragile or, conversely, too suddenly strong in the moments when she speaks up?

It could just be that’s this what Meena was doing in all her movies, so people were used to it? You don’t even think about all her fragile female mannerisms and then noble dialogue.

Is this more Dharmendra’s movie or Meena’s?

Meena’s got top billing and was the biggest name, but it’s deflinitely Dharmendra’s movie. It’s maybe to launch Dharmendra? He’s got all the script backing.

What’s the main social message here? Forgiveness, widow remarriage, feminism?

Naina again, “showing the neighborhood, the extreme nature of poverty, versus the extreme wealth”. The surface messages are about widows and orphans, but in the background you have all these moments of the starvation of the poor, and the way they support each other while the rich ignore them.

Does Meena feel somehow too “old” for Dharmendra in this? More maternal than romantic somehow?

Two yesses, one no! Maybe it’s just that she is bored with playing the same character over and over again and that boredom comes across as tired and old. And Dharmendra is just so 100% into it!

Why does the relationship work?

There’s no fear. Dharmendra is a violent sexy man, but it’s clear that Meena is safe with him and she knows she is safe with him. She stands up to him, she disagrees with him, and he never lays a hand on her in response, or threatens to throw her out, or anything. When he first suggests taking her home, he clearly states that it is because he feels sorry for her and they are both abandoned by society, without family support. It is NOT a romantic invitation, and he keeps that line very clear almost all the way to the end. They are two adults living together and talking things out.

Made for women, yes or no?

Well, the fight scenes are terrible (so you can go get popcorn and not miss anything), Dharmendra rips his shirt off CONSTANTLY, and a magical sexy stranger shows up to rescue Meena Kumari from her terrible family. So, YES!

Now, next movie, I need something with women beating up men! And NOT in a stupid “first she has to be widowed and raped and beaten for 2 hours and THEN she gets 1 hour of beating people up” way. These are the ones we thought of so far:

Mardaani

Lajja

Naam Shabana

Akira

Any other thoughts? Surely Hema has some good action films out there? What about Rekha (besides Lajja)? Anything powerful and feminist without the icky “your traditional female joys are destroyed by violence” first half?