Adultery has been quite a favourite topic for Bollywood to make movies on. There have been nuanced representations like Astitva, Life in a Metro, or even Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. There have been comedies like Biwi No 1 and Gharwali Baaharwali. And all is fine until there is a line. So, the audience didn't really have a problem with the adultery angle being explored when the first trailer of Pati Patni Aur Woh dropped on the internet today. The problem runs much deeper thanks to one joke shown in the first footage. Pati Patni Aur Woh, directed by Mudassar Aziz, stars Kartik Aaryan, Bumi Pednekar and Ananya Panday. The movie is being torn apart on Twitter because of a joke on marital rape made by the lead character.

While explaining his sex-life as a married man, Kartik's character says, "Biwi se sex maang lein, toh hum bhikaari. Biwi ko sex mana kar dein, toh hum atyachaari aur kisi tarah jugaad laga ke uss se sex haasil kar lein na toh balaatkaari bhi hum hain." 

All jokes are welcomed ONLY IF they are NOT enabling the harassers. If they are not normalising the subject for the sake of a one-liner. Women and NGOs are still fighting in India to get marital rape criminalised. Yes, just in case you did not know, marital rape in India is not a criminal offence and is not even considered rape. So, in a setup like India, that joke doesn't work. Twitter is rightly calling out the film and the makers.

Marital Rape is a joke in this country anyway.

Don't Normalize Marital Rape.

Pathetic, to say the least.

Reducing consent to a joke

Yes, please someone tell them this is 2019

And just so guys do not forget

BTW, while talking to the media, Bhumi, who plays the wife in the film said that the makers have been sensitive while making the film. She said, "I think everybody who's part of this film, be it Bhushan sir, Juno or Mudassar sir, belong to that school of thought. This could go wrong so easily but they have been sensitive and careful. It's a big achievement." We wonder what her take is after the trailer is being bashed all over the internet for the joke.

"It's a situational comedy but it's not frivolous. It's empowering to both the genders. There's nobody who is black-and-white in real life too. I think the makers have been conscious to make sure they do not turn this into a sexist, baseless film," Bhumi also told the reporters.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 04, 2019 10:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).