Giving Equality a Glance with Gatta Kushti

Giving Equality a Glance with Gatta Kushti

South Indian movies are all about the featured heroes. More often than not, the reason a movie does well at the box office is because it has a ‘mass’ hero who is featured but Gatta Kushti breaks these norms deliberately – it has a heroine in the lead.

The Plot

The movie features Aishwariya Lekshmi as Keerthi and Vishnu Vishal as Veera. Keerthi is a professional wrestler (Kushti) who is highly influenced by her uncle who loves the sport. She gains accolades in the arena and fame as a wrestler. However, her patriarchal family is desperate for her to get married. Alliance after alliance is sought after, but to no avail, as all the possible grooms are afraid of her physical exploits and are further scandalized by her short hair. The stigma attached to girls in a physically demanding sport such as wrestling is prominently explored in the lead-up to her eventual meeting with the hero. Veera on the other hand is not very educated, he is a stereotypical, patriarchal male who loves Kabbadi. He is also heavily influenced by his uncle who teaches him that men are superior to women and that keeping women in check with an occasional beating is essential. His requirements for a bride are vastly influenced by his uncle’s opinions of women, and so he desires a bride with long hair that dangles below her waist and someone who is not educated. As destiny would have it the two uncles happen to be friends and they set up the match. Desperate to get Keerthi wed, her uncle makes her wear a long wig and lie about her education. After the wedding and a few months of marital bliss, the truth comes out in true south Indian movie fashion when Keerthi steps into a fight to save her husband from certain death. Veera is shocked at her strength and instead of being grateful he feels insulted as he was saved by a woman. Drama ensues all the way to the filing of a divorce. Finally, the movie climaxes in a tournament where Veera tries to regain his ‘lost manhood’ by wanting to wrestle Keerthi in a tournament. But as all happy endings go, he finally understands his mistake and apologizes to her. He realizes what it means to be a ‘real man’ and finally encourages her and their daughter towards the sport they love. 

This movie is over-exaggerated in every way possible in various parts to make it more appealing to the masses, but it still touches upon a very vital issue – equality. 

The Bible says this “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them.” What does it mean to be created in the image of God? It simply means that the God of the Bible has both male and female characteristics in Him. A shocking statement for sure, but the Bible likens God to a ‘mother’ (Isaiah 66:13) and to a ‘father’ as well (Psalm 68:5). So, while culture dictates patriarchy, God desires equality.

While it is true that each of the sexes has its own inherent weaknesses and strengths, it is important to acknowledge the fact that they are created equal. God’s design for men and women was not one of superiority but equality. He made men and women to be complementary to each other, and it is high time we started to recognize this fact. Let us showcase this equality in everyday life, here below are some suggestions on how we can do that:

1. – Embrace the fact that you and others are created uniquely by God.
2. – Rise above culture by challenging the values placed on us at home, school, and with friends in the light of God’s Word. 
3. – Cut out crude remarks and jokes that are sexist and can hurt either of the sexes. 
4. – Read the Bible to understand the original plan of God for men and women.
5. – Allow yourself and others to rise up to their full potential in sports, education, family, work, or any other sphere- male or female is secondary.

If you have faced gender discrimination in any shape or form, we are happy to listen to you or chat with you about it.