Common Sense Media Review
By Ishmeet Nagpal , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 13+
Misogynistic Indian romcom sends out harmful messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Lead couple shares multiple kisses and embraces often. No nudity or explicit sex scenes are present. The couple discusses how long it has been since they hooked up with someone, make sexual innuendos, and discuss their sex life. The female lead instructs an acquaintance to grab her hips while dancing (he complies) in order to make her boyfriend jealous. She is also asked if her boyfriend is "good in bed." Another woman discusses her romantic history and implies that she had sex when she was 16. She then tries to seduce her friend's boyfriend as part of a "loyalty test." A musical sequence involves a character's desire to have a one-night stand.
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Language
some
Words like "f--k," "pathetic loser," "dumbs--t," "insane," "idiot," and "crazy" are used in multiple instances. Even though some swear words are bleeped out, it is easy to decipher exactly what was said. The slang terms "chutiya" (a derogatory reference to female genitalia) and "bhenchod" ("sister f----r") are also used. While the first one is translated to "idiot" and "dumbs--t" in the subtitles, the latter is translated to "f--k."
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Products & Purchases
some
There is a lot of talk about and emphasis placed on money and profits. Fancy cars such as Mercedes, Jeeps, and Lamborghinis are mentioned in different conversations. Characters make multiple visits to malls and indulge in a lot of shopping. People make large payments to hire conmen.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Multiple scenes where the leads, their friends, and family members drink alcohol during parties and dance with drinks in their hands. One song's lyrics are dedicated to "getting drunk" and how the central character wants to indulge in a one-night stand after having an excessive amount of alcohol. At a funeral, two friends discuss that the 92-year-old who passed away drank alcohol and smoked hookah till the end of their life. Two adults drink alcohol while a child is in the room and pretend to drink with them by pouring apple juice in their glass. A couple gets extremely drunk on their first date. Later they also share a special "cool" handshake that includes a gesture indicating smoking cigarettes.
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Violence & Scariness
a little
Women routinely slap men, which is played for laughs and normalizes the behavior. For example, a mother yells at and then slaps her adult son and his adult friend repeatedly. A man threatens to enter another person's house and "whack them with a shoe." The lead character calls their girlfriend "f---ing dumb." A character threatens to "jump to my death" twice, while their friend responds with threats and taunts such as, "you should kill yourself." These scenes are played off with comedic music.
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Positive Messages
none
The film tries to show that families can learn to be less controlling. However, it is ultimately an ode to patriarchal gender roles and subscribes to incel principles -- that women must sacrifice their freedom and live with their in-laws rather than prioritizing their career. Moreover, lying to and conning women is portrayed as playful and fun.
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Positive Role Models
none
Mickey is a conman who thinks playing with people's emotions is just "business." He falls in love with Tinni at first sight and proceeds to love bomb her into a relationship. Within three weeks of meeting, lead characters Mickey and Tinni plan to get married and tell their parents. Mickey's family proceeds to exert control over every aspect of Tinni's life. Tinni herself is so averse to confrontation that she would rather lie and hire a conman rather than being honest with Mickey and his family. Eventually this family looks at their own behavior and tries to make amends. However, it's Tinni who has to make sacrifices and adjustments, not Mickey.
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Diverse Representations
Flagged for concern
Every character belongs to a rich upper caste Hindu household in Delhi. The patriarchal dynamics among rich joint families of North India are displayed. Women are either portrayed as hapless and emotionally needy damsels, or heartlessly career-driven people who are spoiling the men's lives by not conforming. Lead character Mickey's mother is portrayed as a boisterous, controlling woman who is always yelling and hitting younger people willy-nilly, and despite all this she is placed on a pedestal of motherhood. One character asks for help breaking up with his fiancé because "she loves me too much," as if it is a burden to be loved. The cadence, vocabulary, and thought processes exhibited in Mickey's language are the kind used by incels and Men's Rights Activists (MRA).
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar is an Indian Hindi-language film about a womanizing conman, Mickey (Ranbir Kapoor), who meets and then marries Tinni (Shraddha Kapoor). Mickey is misogynistic -- both in terms of behavior and the language he uses -- and his attitude toward dating could have a negative impact on impressionable kids. He uses emotional manipulation, including twice making fake suicidal threats. His mother, Renu (Dimple Kapadia), is shown repeatedly slapping Mickey and his friend, which is played for laughs. There is plenty of drinking, especially by Mickey and Tinni. Language includes "f--k," "dumbs--t," "insane," "idiot," "crazy," and "pathetic loser," while the Indian cuss words "chutiya" and "bhenchod" are also used. The movie leans heavily into stereotypical and patriarchal gender roles, with women routinely lied to and conned, all of which is depicted as playful and fun. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar
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What's the Story?
In TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR, Mickey (Ranbir Kapoor) is a spoilt brat, womanizer, and conman who helps couples break up for a fee. He meets his match in Tinni (Shraddha Kapoor) and they quickly decide to marry. However, when Tinni realizes that Mickey's family is being controlling toward her, she unknowingly hires Mickey to break them up.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
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With its terrible script, nauseating dialogues, and so-called "couplets" of poetry that would make anyone's ears bleed, this Indian romcom is a mess of a film. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar's director, Luv Ranjan, tries desperately to replicate the way his film Pyar Ka Punchnama captured the incel imagination in 2011. But this was released in 2023 and his brand of misogyny has become obsolete at best, and vile at worst. The movie also suffers from technical flaws. Many scenes have an artificial quality (perhaps overuse of green screen) ruining the illusion, while Shraddha Kapoor's acting is disappointing, and the songs are bland formulaic concoctions. But the film's biggest flaw is casting a visibly 40-year-old Ranbir Kapoor to play a 30-year-old man who acts like he is 15. Some "boyish charm" might have offset the lead character's repulsiveness, but this style of filmmaking feels dated and offensive. Hopefully the audience will not waste their time again.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar portrayed romantic relationships. Did you think they were healthy portrayals? Why, or why not? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Discuss the characters' drinking habits. Did you find it problematic?
What message do you think the filmmaker was trying to say? What did you think of this message?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 8, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: May 3, 2023
- Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia
- Director: Luv Ranjan
- Inclusion Information: Asian directors, Indian/South Asian directors, Female actors, Asian actors, Indian/South Asian actors
- Studio: Yash Raj Films
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 150 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: August 15, 2024
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Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar
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