Cheating wives? Nah, we're Indians.

More and more films are tackling the issue of female infidelity. But is it a serious attempt to explore the phenomenon or just another excuse for sex scenes, asks Jamila Hussain…

Some say Bollywood has matured. Other claims it never will because of its risk-averse nature. But going by the trends these days, we'd say it's somewhere between the two. For every Namastey London with a tamed shrew that hits the Indian theaters, there is a Life In A Metro, which is not averse to experimenting with the darker realities of life, one being extramarital affairs. Men cheating on their wives has been explored before. But modern filmmakers are also exploring the subject of female infidelity, a taboo topic in Indian society, which largely drives the film industry.

Murder, Jism, Life In A Metro, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK), more and more films have leading ladies cheating on their husbands and lovers. Of course, many have the lady still going back to her marriage, with few like KANK having the guts to allow her to follow her heart. Of course, Bollywood still needs to explain why the woman strayed. She wouldn't stray just because she's bored like Diane Lane was in Unfaithful. The Indian wife strays because the husband doesn't love her, is a nasty uncaring philanderer, a bad husband etcetera, etcetera. Many a times, the extramarital affair is just an excuse to include steamy lovemaking scenes and kisses. Cases in point, Murder, Jism…Which makes one wonder, where is this trend headed? Will the topic of female infidelity be explored in the right earnest or will it continue to be yet another frivolous subject for the scriptwriters?

According to item babe Meghna Naidu, the trend is just reflective of the society we live in. "It is happening in real life and so it's shown on screen. With men and women both stepping out of the house to build careers, extramarital affairs are on the rise because couples are spending more time away from each other. So when they are thrown in the company of other people for prolonged period, some are bound to give in to temptation," she says. A good point but in real life many women move on from their husbands. Not every female love cheat goes back to home and hearth like our leading ladies.

Shaadi No 1 actress Aarti Chhabria feels it's the audience reception that decides the final outcome. "Our writers are very talented and even though the formula they use is the same, they do try to bring variation. It entirely depends on how the story reaches the audience. If the film is disconnected from the viewers, it wouldn't work but if it reaches out to the audience in the right way it would," she says. She might be right to an extent, because KANK succeeded in spite of Rani Mukherji walking out on her marriage and into the arms of another married man.

But KANK might have been an exception. Because the industry is largely against letting the women walk into the sunset with their lovers, leaving their husband and children behind. "We are still Indians at heart and the idea of extramarital affairs is not taboo only here but also abroad. I don't think people there are comfortable talking about illicit affairs either. It may be accepted in the high society but not in the middle and lower classes," avers Bollywood analyst Amod Mehra. According to him, men cheating on screen is accepted easier than women doing so.

Agrees Mallika Sherawat, who is less than charitable about this attitude. "When a woman looks for a relationship outside marriage and seeks love, she is ostracized by the society. But when a man does it, he is considered hot property," she thunders.

There are some who take the middle path when faced with a question on this formula. Film industry analyst Taran Adarsh asserts that it's the story and the treatment that matter more than the emotion explored. "At the end a good story is what matters, be it tragedy, or romance, or thriller. Anything will work if it's good. Today, writers are the real stars. It's the story that matters not whether it's about an extramarital affair or a clean-cut romance," he says. The treatment of course matters a lot. "It's the entire package that counts," says director Kunal Kohli, but adds that no film beside KANK with that topic has done well. "People watch movies to take back a message and I guess they need to approve of what is being conveyed for the film to succeed," he continues.

Trends come and trends go. What remains is the fact that the film industry only gives the public what they want. If Bollywood has to mature, the audience it is meant for has to mature too. The question isn't if, but when.

-Sanskriti Media