Aranmanai 4: If You're a Mom, it's Your Responsibility to Take Care of Your Children Even as a Ghost

 Aranmanai 4 starts with a gender-equal concept - both the mother (wife) and father (husband) take care of their children.

Then, the father dies, killed by a demon, and the mother is killed by the same demon, having taken the form of the father. She dies trying to protect her children.

The film's plot goes downhill from there.

You mother? You die? You come as ghost to take care of your children.

Really? Even in death, women are the ones who should become a spirit and take care of their children? 

The thing is, the father dies and rests in peace but the mom has to perform caretaking duties even as a ghost?

There is a cinematic concept of multiple ghosts - Casper and Kanchana. Well, that could've been applied here - continuing the father's involvement in taking care of his children together with his wife after death.  

Protecting is not the same as caretaking.

I understand that the mother's spirit is there to safeguard her children from the demon. That is all well and good. I am asking why is it necessary to show a a female ghost doing caretaking duties? It's 2024.

The glorification of motherhood needs to stop.

Protecting children isn't hiding problems from them. I really hated this scene. It was designed to glorify women and motherhood. No. Women and mothers feel pain too. We need help. We cannot do everything singlehandedly. I saw sex memes using this scene - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED BY SUNDAR C.

At least they didn't show the mother ghost in a widow's costume, following her husband's demise before hers.

Ah, I don't know. I may sound petty. But perpetuating gender roles even in horror films does a disservice to the younger generation who are vulnerably exposed to the likes of Andrew Tate. Damage control is the need of the hour.

And then the mother who exhumed as a spirit to ensure her children's safety, and depicted as still watching over them in the end goes, "Acho acho achocho."

In a scene after the flashback, Singam Puli says that Selvi (Tamannah), a mother who gave up her life so her children can live is God. And Maya (Raashi) is a service-minded doctor in the movie. Then this song concludes the movie. 

It's totally fine for mothers and doctors to wear such costumes and dance. But it must be OUR CHOICE, not MEN MAKING THE CHOICE FOR US FOR THEIR SELF-GRATIFICATION.

These male directors and producers know that a mother mothering and a doc treating aren't sufficient to lure male audiences. So they need a 3 minute song with the movie's heroines doing raunchy moves to launch their two and a half hours movie.

When men want it, we should be God, sacrifice, come back after death to take care of the children, and save lives through gifted hands. And again, when men want it, we should shed clothes, be bootylicious, seductive, be their sex memes content and shag dolls. 

And then you men will moral police us women when we take autonomy of our bodies, say women wearing short clothes is why rapes are happening, and berate us for our choices to be Plain Jane wearing drab clothes or Foxy Fiona being fashion forward.