I Didn't Enjoy Dragon: Here's Why

It'd be weird to hear that I watched Dragon in tears. But that's the truth. 

Let's explore the injustices and hypocrisies that I couldn't stand in this movie, one that everyone is praising.

My mom was like, "Adhepdi ivanuku poiyi ivlo azhagana ponnunga kidaikuthu?" (How come a lowlife like him gets the "most beautiful" ladies?

The only constant in Dragon's life is "pretty girls." I am following conventional beauty standards and age old Tamil cinema pairing of men who are "not good-looking" with "good-looking" women. He got and wanted only the "hottest" women when he was studious, useless brat, successful cheater, and a human with bare minimum qualities. 

What's so great about realizing one's mistakes, coming clean, and not ruining another person's life? It's the bare minimum! Basic quality!

Why do we keep glorifying men who only pass the bare minimum? Women have to turn men around for the better, study well, help their ex, celebrate their ex's birthday, be a successful career woman - Keerthi (Anupama Parameswaran) does all of that. Only then men accept her as a "woman" even. But Drag can do all sorts of shenanigans and suddenly turn into a basic human being and he's a good person. Can you imagine a guy being Keerthi? He'd be God. Hold women and men to the same standards FFS. 

A gold digger is a gold digger, man or woman.

If Drag is a woman and Keerthi is a man, I'll still support Keerthi's decision to break up. Because I hold men and women to the same standards. If your girlfriend behaves like Drag, please dump her at the earliest. As hardworking people who move our body and mind to study, pass our exams, work, and earn, we deserve an equal partner, not a gold digger.

Men get second, third, fourth chances - women don't, especially in education.

This is the part that left me in tears. Yes, yes, we cry when we miss even 1 mark. Because, we don't have parents who'd spend for private education like boys do. That 1 mark is the differentiator between being married off and continued education. Make fun and make films like Dragon. But never try to understand the prevailing inequality. Go on. Make memes about how girls just easily get married if they don't do well in education, hiding your male privilege. Then, complain about gold diggers and alimony.

Only men have the privilege of making mistakes, turn around for basic betterment, and be appreciated for it.

Can you imagine a woman like Dragon? No? Women make a tiny slip up and we're for the streets. Women don't have the privilege to make mistakes like men. Only men have the opportunity to change or are accepted for changing. Women's every move is scrutinized and there are no second chances to do better. And why do men only recognize their self respect when a woman states the truth about them - so Drag's friends who have been telling him to get a job are jokers?

I am not saying that women should be able to be like Dragon. But men must recognize their privilege.

And don't waste opportunity. I am afraid Dragon only reinforces the mindset of frivolity in men. As someone who got sick during the final year of pre-university and wrote the exam in the hospital, bearing severe emergent symptoms of a rare illness, I hate to see people wasting their potential. I am doing good now despite having no college degree because I seized every opportunity.

The real heroes of Dragon are Venkat and Keerthi.

"A good guy is boring. A perfect guy is cloying. Venkat is pure gold and the unsung hero of Dragon." Don't only blame women for liking bad, cool boys. Men look up to such boys as well - Kutty (Little) Dragon. It was so annoying watching him calling Drag "Leader" and idolizing him. In the same class, there's studious Venkat - but is he the most popular guy in college? Keerthi is a hero for realizing she can't let Dragon pull her underwater with him. 

I hear you blaming the girl in school for liking bad boys... that's why D. Raghavan became Dragon...

Why did Raghavan choose the "hottest" girl in school? Why didn't he choose a girl who studies as well as he does?

Didn't Keerthi come to her senses? I thought men are more logical than women? Keep finding ways to blame women for your lackadaisical attitude. Then, expect us to clean up your mess.

Even after breakup, Keerthi helps Drag clean his mess.

I don't understand the guilt Keerthi feels that makes her help Drag again and again. And it's only after she goes out of her way, pulling up study nights with him does he realize how much she's done for him. It's funny how everything revolves around him. Like everyone literally tries hard to make his life better  but he repeatedly messes up. And even then Keerthi is there to catch him every time he falls.

Keerthi made it her unnecessary mission to ensure Drag's success - using guilt as her reason.

There's no reason for Keerthi to feel guilty about breaking up with Dragon. It's even OK if both of them were stupid in college. But it's entirely Drag's fault for not realizing what entails in the real world and work toward success like Keerthi did. It's basic. 

The movie perpetuates the "hot teacher/lecturer" culture.

The annoying Kutty Dragon shamelessly goes behind his married lecturer. Again, purely for her looks with him not having any "good looks." Teaching, nursing professions are all sexualized and Dragon adds to okay-ing it!

As usual, Dragon affirms that women must fall for character but men are entitled for the whole package with "beauty" being the first criteria.

In the climax, Drag who told his principal that he doesn't want to marry his daughter, changes his mind when he laid eyes on her. The same is true for Pallavi and Keerthi. But all three girls fall for his character - faked or otherwise. Dragon further entrenches that women must fit into beauty standards, being perfect - men needn't.

What's so great about D. Raghavan until the college principal makes an example out of him and his son-in-law?

Till now, I don't understand why is Dragon considered "exemplary and great." The bar is set so low for men. A person who doesn't lie, cheat, destroy another person's life, sexually harass/torment someone is a person with basic human decency, not great. That's how all of us must be in our core. If you want to be great, you must go above and beyond - Dragon didn't.

Credit is due for the portrayal of women in Dragon.

The heroines had solid roles. They had self respect and achieved academically and financially - they were smart too. It was nice when Drag realized he wasn't worthy of Keerthi (after a thousand years nevertheless and only after she rehabilitated him🤣). And the women are not objectified in this movie. Alas, they're all fair-skinned and tick every beauty standard box.