Five reasons why Humpty's Kavya is better than DDLJ's Simran

Two decades ago, Aditya Chopra changed the way we thought about romance with the film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, placing the family at the very centre of the love story. It didn’t matter what the couple wanted. They wouldn’t elope as they traditionally had in Bollywood.

In DDLJ, parents’ consent was critical and the women didn’t argue with the men. The father and Raj, the boyfriend, negotiated the terms of their relationship, leaving Simran (Kajol) to sulk in the corner.

Twenty years later, the new-age Simran is Kavya (Alia Bhatt) in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya. But ladies, don’t get your hopes up. Kavya might have a smart mouth, but she’s not going to break free any time soon. The real relationship in Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania is, like in DDLJ, between Humpty (today’s Raj) and Kavya’s father. Still, Kavya’s more of her own person than Simran was, and here are a few of the updates that the good girl character got in Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania.

1. Simran was not only Miss Goody Two Shoes, she was also rather weepy. (I wouldn’t blame her though, I’d be quite miserable myself if I had a father like Amrish Puri.) Kavya, in contrast, has “pataka” tattooed on the back of her neck and she lives up to that tag. She’s boisterous, full of smart repartee, and she knows how to use her cuteness to best effect.

2. Simran was afraid of her father and complied to his wished out of mortal fear. In DDLJ, everyone tiptoed around the fearsome Amrish Puri, who played Simran’s father. In Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania, the patriarch is cut down to size to a large extent. He’s the one in charge but isn’t beyond reproach. His wife and mother tick him off on more than one occasion. Kavya takes a little while to come round to the idea of fighting for her relationship with Humpty, but once she’s taken that decision, there’s no budging her. Even while her father is organizing her wedding to another man, she insists that she will marry Humpty. She even argues with her father when he behaves like a tyrant, going so far as to ask him, “Why are you ruining my life?”

3. Simran was virtually mummified in patriarchal notions of purity and personal insecurity. She was also obsessed with her virginity. Kavya, on the other hand, is easy-going, confident and comfortable around an obviously smitten Humpty and his friends. When her friendship with Humpty tips into romance, she doesn’t hesitate to sleeping with him. In Simran’s case, both her family and Raj were conservative enough to make a huge deal about a Hindustani ladki ki izzat.

4. Kavya is much more independent than Simran was. At one point, when some men start behaving lecherously around her, she’s entirely unwilling to ignore them or take their attempts at harassing her quietly. Later, when her father’s behavior is becoming too oppressive for her, she doesn’t wait to be whisked away by Humpty. She runs away, on her own, without telling even Humpty.

5. No matter how many muscles he may flex, Kavya is the one who calls the shots in their relationship. In fact, ultimately, for all of the bonding rituals between Humpty and Kavya’s father, she’s the one who finally convinces her father to accept Humpty. The most conclusive proof of this is that she’s the one who gets to pose like Shah Rukh Khan, her arms wide open.

So then why does she wait for Humpty and her father to resolve their issues? Why does it matter if her father likes Humpty or not? Why does she run away only to come back and play the part of a pretty little doll in the wedding celebrations? Because Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania is still very much a conservative take on DDLJ. Kavya might be tough, outspoken,stubborn and gutsy, but she is still a shuddh desi girl.

Perhaps in another twenty years, we’ll finally get to see a Simran who will answer our prayers and not hesitate to take the train out of this idealized, conservative heartland.