Is it fair to compare Kartik Aaryan’s Freddy to Dexter, Joker or Jeffrey Dahmer? The answer is not that simple

The comparison between Kartik Aaryan -starrer _Freddy_ and other crime shows based on serial killers is not entirely unfair. Take Showtime’s crime drama Dexter for instance. Much like Freddy who saw his father killing his mother by attacking her with a knife, Dexter too witnessed his mother being hacked to death with a chainsaw as a kid. As a result, Dexter grew up with childhood trauma which led to the development of sociopathic tendencies - the same happens with Freddy. However, Dexter and Freddy are also different in many ways. Dexter was urged by Harry Morgan, a Miami cop, to channel his bloodlust into vigilantism. As a result, Dexter killed criminals who managed to escape the justice system. However, Freddy is not a vigilante - his bloodlust gets the best of him only when someone hurts him or the ones he loves. He murdered Kainaaz’s husband only after he witnessed her abuse firsthand. He then proceeded to kill Kainaaz and her ‘protein shake’ boyfriend only after they manipulated him into killing a man and refused to apologise to him. Unlike Dexter, Freddy isn’t killing people for a larger cause. This is where Joker (Arthur Fleck) comes in. Arthur descends into insanity because the world around him - the social structures, capitalism and the bullying he had to endure owing to him being a failed clown and his medical condition, got the best of him. Arthur’s tipping point came when he was assaulted by a group of drunk men in the subway after which he shot them in self-defence. Similarly, Freddy’s tipping point came when he was assaulted by Kainaaz’s boyfriend who spit in his drink and refused to offer him an earnest apology for tricking him into murdering Kainaaz’s husband. The similarity between Arthur and Freddy is obvious here - both are men who aren’t physically strong and have been bullied by powerful men into submission. In a strange way, both Arthur and Freddy’s fight is for a common cause - the fight to be respected and accepted by a society which is hell bent on making their lives hell. As Arthur puts it - “What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash? You get what you deserve…” followed by a gunshot. Freddy and Joker have similar shades but are also different in some ways. While Joker became a symbol of political revolution against the wealthy in Gotham City, Freddy’s revenge was more personal and less universal.

On to Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy - Freddy is similar to the two mass murderers owing to his perception across social circles. A shy, lonely man in his late 20s who lives in his apartment with only an old woman to care for his well-being - this trope is eerily similar to the way Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy have been portrayed in popular culture. Like Dahmer and Bundy, Freddy’s interpersonal skills are not the best. He has awkward encounters on dating and matrimony apps. He is introverted, clumsy and an outcast. More than anything, he craves companionship desperately. His best friend, Hardy, a tortoise, is his only companion who he talks to every night before going to sleep. For Dahmer, it was his desperation to seek human company that made him invite men to his household. He would then force these men to watch The Exorcist and click artsy pictures of them before killing them in cold blood. Freddy, too, is desperate for human company but his desperation is not as severe. Freddy is not as unhinged as a Dahmer - yet. Perhaps, he too could go on a killing rampage too if pushed enough but we don’t quite see that side of him in the film. To sum it up, Freddy is similar to Dexter because of his childhood trauma. Just like Joker who isn’t stereotypically strong and masculine, Freddy too has been bullied and treated like dirt by the society he lives in. Freddy is also similar to Dahmer because of him being a social outcast and his questionable interpersonal skills. Freddy is similar to all three for another reason - he makes the audience feel for him and at times, even root for him. This, owing to the people around Freddy - his love interest Kainaaz and her protein shake boyfriend - who are absolutely insufferable and straight up evil. They go out of their way to make Freddy’s life hell. Perhaps, the viewer empathizes with Freddy also because his quest to get an apology is relatable for all humans. There have been times when all of us had to make peace with not receiving an apology when it was due. More so, Freddy’s circumstances, the sheer injustice meted out to him and his persona of a seemingly harmless, introverted dentist who wouldn’t hurt a fly (or so one thinks) is what makes his act so believable. This makes the viewer root for Freddy even as he buries Kainaaz alive and extracts all her teeth without anesthesia. Of course, one can endlessly debate if Freddy glorifies murder or condemns it. There is also a discussion to be had here about problematic and abusive men, especially in the light of recent cases of gruesome murders in Delhi and other parts of India. But one can’t help but acknowledge that Freddy truly accomplishes something which only the likes of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix have been able to accomplish with The Dark Night and The Joker respectively - that is, root for the bad guy. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Freddy as Kartik Aaryan has confirmed a sequel to Shashanka Ghosh-directorial. Freddy is streaming now on Disney+ Hotstar.

Deepansh Duggal is an entertainment, pop-culture and trends writer based in New Delhi. He specializes in op-eds based on the socio-political and gender issues in the world of entertainment and showbiz. He also writes explainers and occasionally reviews shows in the OTT space. He tweets at @Deepansh75.  Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.