'In India, the manosphere is all around'

Women are born with intrinsic value Their looks and fertility make them permanently valuable to society Men on the other hand are born with nothing They must lsquoearnrsquo the value that they possessrdquo says a man in Louis Therouxrsquos new documentary Inside The Manosphere In the last decade the manosphere has gone from the odd incel to a fullblown movement with ldquoinfluencersrdquo now teaching millions of young followers to simultaneously think of women as the enemy as well as objects to be acquired to prove their dominanceSandeep Reddy Vanga is a filmmaker who popularises hypermasculine protagonists Kabir Singh Animal who are emotionally abusive and violent towards women PICGETTY IMAGESIn India the manosphere is complicated by repackaging misogyny as cultural expression Feminism is seen as antifamily and antireligion Arranged marriage systems caste endogamy and community surveillance also play a part in enforcing misogyny Whatrsquos also interesting is that women also subscribe to this ideology We give you a look of what the Indian manosphere looks likeSarthak Goel promotes ldquomasculine dominancerdquo in relationships framing emotional vulnerability as weakness PICINSTAGRAMsarthakgoel1212lsquoWomen should pick careers that suit them biologicallyrsquoTulip Sharma 23 Criminal lawyerWith over 23500 followers Tulip Sharmarsquos Instagram bio reads ldquomodest traditionalist Manuwadirdquo The 23yearold Raipurbased criminal lawyer has built an impressive resume from speaking at the Parliament to serving as state incharge of the National Legal Rights Consortium under the aegis of Womenrsquos Indian Chamber of Commerce amp Industry By all appearances shersquos a prime example of female independenceTulip Sharma is a selfproclaimed ldquoantifeministrdquoAnd yet she calls herself ldquoantifeminismrdquo She offers three reasons ldquoThe Left uses feminism to gather a female audience and brainwash them into becoming antiIndia and antiHindu Secondly the line between advocating for women and hating men has blurred Thirdly feminism is antireligion There are theorists who say that if you have castepride you cannot be a feminist Does that mean I must give up my faith to be a feminist People find it hard to accept that you can be prowoman without being a feminist The Internet operates in binaries mdash either feminist or misogynist I reject bothShe argues feminism is a Western import pointing instead to figures like Gargi Maitreyi and Lopamudra female sages credited for contributing to vedas and upanishad in ancient India and Rani Lakshmibai as examples of empowered women in Indian history We bite down the urge to point out that all the women she has mentioned broke gender roles of their timeThoppi is a PUBG gamer who represents the memedriven Gen Z edge of the manosphere He uses humour to normalise objectification and hostility toward women PICINSTAGRAMmrz_thoppimassWhat should the role of women be in modern society ldquoI believe women are nurturers Women who want to pursue careers should absolutely do so but they should take up roles that suit them biologically and psychologicallyrdquoldquoThe current corporate framework in India is not suitable for women Women are exploited harassed there is no framework to stop itrdquo she adds What are those jobs ldquoAny workfromhome job teaching community service volunteering or even a defence counsel where you can decide your own hoursrdquoMost of these jobs are lowpaying we point out ldquoI believe wellbeing should be the first priority and money should be secondaryrdquo she says adding that men however must prioritise earning because of societyrsquos expectationsDev Tyagi pushes controlbased relationship advice like restricting girlfriends from having male friends PICINSTAGRAMdev_tyagi_unfazedWe ask her about her choice of criminal law is that a good fit for women ldquoNot always In criminal law one needs to be very assertive and courageous Women who are timid or reserved may find it difficultrdquo she says ldquoI have always been outspoken and straightfoward so Irsquove been able to pursue itrdquoAndrew Tate is the worldwide leader of the manosphere PICGETTY IMAGESlsquoIt can buy you acceptance in societyrsquoIpsita Chatterjee trauma therapistThe appeal of the manosphere Ipsita Chatterjee explains lies in how carefully it is packaged ldquoSome of this content as dangerous as it is is given in very intellectual language It feels very realrdquo she says By spotlighting selective cases and framing men as victims it creates a narrative that is easy to buy intoldquoAs people whorsquos been victims of the system themselves womenrsquos instinct is to show up with empathyrdquo she says So when men position themselves as wronged women may feel compelled to respond with care rather than critique This is further reinforced by conditioning ldquoWomen are told their entire life to look for lsquorough and toughrsquo provider menrdquo she addsIn the manosphere even misogynistic men are constantly surrounded by women PICISTOCKldquoWersquore not immune to the internalisation of misogyny that exists in societyrdquo she says pointing out that these beliefs are ingrained from a young age ldquoThe onus should not be on women to know all of this mdash wersquove been survivors of oppression for centuriesrdquo In fact aligning with such men can even feel rewarding ldquoPerforming these roles may offer not respect but at least acceptancerdquo mdash a powerful incentive in an unequal systemHarsh Gujral is a comedian whose stand up acts frequently leans on gender stereotypes and casual sexism PICGETTY IMAGESlsquoThe patriarchy rewards compliancersquoDevrupa Rakshit 33 Journalist exlawyerIn 2024 Nora Fatehi went viral for saying ldquoFeminism has had a negative impact on societyrdquo emphasising womenrsquos role as ldquonurturersrdquo In the last few weeks shersquos been in controversy again after her latest Bollywood song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke was banned for vulgar lyrics Fatehi said that she had no idea what the songrsquos lyrics were since it was originally filmed in KannadaJournalist Devrupa Rakshit made an Instagram post arguing that distancing herself from feminism didnrsquot save Fatehi from exploitation in the system We ask Rakshit what makes the manosphere tempting for a woman She says ldquoItrsquos important to understand that in addition to oppressing women the patriarchy also rewards compliance For many women especially those who have closely witnessed the social economic or even physical consequences of resisting gender norms submission can feel like a strategy for safety and stabilityrdquoShe believes that the manosphere is especially complicated in India because of the cultural context ldquoTherersquos a strong cultural narrative that frames feminism as Western or antifamily while positioning submission as natural and spiritually fulfilling Theyrsquore then packaged as empowerment mdash like choosing softness tradition and femininityrdquoPICPINTERESTAMAR PICPINTERESTMrvBhtyr and The films and TV shows that potray toxic masculinity PICPINTERESTLatestage capitalism has made work feel increasingly dehumanising The idea of becoming a ldquotrad wiferdquo then can seem less like an escape from burnout precarity and relentless productivity What often goes unrecognised however is that this shift may simply replace one form of constraint with another such as a lack of financial agency How is the Indian manosphere different from the Western one ldquoManosphere content in the West usually revolves around dating sexual access and individual autonomy In India ideas about controlling women are often justified through concepts like protecting culture and family honourrdquo she saysWomen are also victims of the patriarchy and so there is a need for empathy she suggests But that empathy has its limits When relatively privileged women actively promote these ideas it risks reinforcing the very structures that more marginalised women have far less room to escapelsquoMisogyny is the norm in IndiarsquoDr Paras Sharma Director of The Alternative Story menrsquos mental health expertCounselling psychologist Dr Paras Sharma who has a PhD in psychology with a focus on masculine identity believes ldquoBoys are often raised in gendersegregated spaces where theyrsquore discouraged from interacting with girlsrdquo he says ldquoThen suddenly as adults theyrsquore expected to date and get marriedrdquo This leads to emotional dependence on a partner or avoidance altogetherSharma notes that in his practice ldquoa lot of men report compulsive consumption of pornographyhellip sometimes to the point where they donrsquot prefer real relationshipsrdquo ldquoEarlier there wasnrsquot pushback Now partners are asking for more mdash boundaries equality mdash and thatrsquos where distress beginsrdquo he explains ldquoMany men struggle to set boundaries with family They feel torn but instead of addressing that women become the easy dumping bagrdquoFor younger men Sharma argues misogyny is the norm ldquoNonconsensual sharing of intimate images AI generated deepfake nudes throwing lewd comments mdash these are part of the normal experience of schools and colleges todayrdquo he says In our media too from item songs to mainstream cinema ldquothe male gaze has always dominatedrdquo He argues ldquoIndia never needed the manosphere Itrsquos the mainstream hererdquoItrsquos not just women it hurtsWhen he was 16 Aarav Garg came across a looksmaxxing incel Rohan name changed Looksmaxxing is the Gen Z version of incel culture that seeks to ldquomaximiserdquo onersquos appearance driven by the belief that women only care about looks Rohan first came on Gargrsquos radar after he began sending his friend persistent creepy messages when she asked Garg to interveneldquoI told him to back off Immediately he started attacking me asking me lsquoWhat is your heightrsquordquo recalls Garg now 20 Soon the messages escalated ldquoHave you ever received attention from a 710 girl after you hit pubertyrdquo one DM read Another said ldquoI currently view you as a fat loner virginhellip Irsquoll help you fix this Irsquoll fatshame you every day sorry not sorryrdquoLooks are currency in Rohanrsquos world In his own way he believed he was helping ldquoHe told me I was the 11th contact on his phonerdquo says Garg ldquoI could tell he was very lonelyrdquoldquoIncels think women are shallow and only care about looksrdquo Garg explains ldquoSo they obsess over their appearance But when that doesnrsquot work it turns into selfhatred and then hatred towards womenrdquoIn 2022 ldquoAndrew Tate was just starting to become a mainstream name There was a wellknown case of suicide 16yearold Arvey Malhotra who was bullied for his sexuality at that time in my hometown Faridabadrdquo says Garg Itrsquos more confusing than ever to be a teenager mdash navigating gender politics facing the prospect of global war and rising economic challenges And so young men turn to the manosphere where an Andrew Tate provides an easy and tangible target that is causing all your problems womenWho is inside the manosphereThe manosphere consists of but is not limited to different groups such asgtgt Incels Short for ldquoinvoluntary celibatesrdquo they feel entitled to sex and bear extreme hostility towards women for not providing itgtgt Menrsquos rights activists Focus on issues like child custody and false accusations of sexual assault alleging that legal systems favour womengtgt Men Going Their Own Way MGTOW Advocates for men to separate themselves from relationships with women and from mainstream society which they believe is prejudiced against themgtgt Looksmaxxers Aim to maximise their physical appearance because they believe that women are superficial beings who only care about looksgtgt Pickup artistes Focus on techniques to seduce and manipulate women into sexual relationshipsWhat does it meanThe manosphere is a collection of influencers and online communities dedicated to promoting masculinity Under the guide of dispensing tips on dating grooming health it is often misogynistic and strongly opposes feminism