Boys, don’t make others cry

 

Director Vinil Mathew’s recent short film titled, Boys Don’t Cry, which is a part of the Vogue Empower campaign, tries to capture this societal mentality which by default implies that boys should be brought up to stay strong in the face of adversity. And if we really want to make a change, we must start with the boys.

 

Around half a dozen children appear in the two-minute video. “We created a picnic-like atmosphere for the children. After each shot, they were given chocolates and the whole set would clap for them. In fact, most kids have been asking their parents if they can shoot again.”

 

Vinil’s last two ad films followed a similar trajectory online, and were quite popular. And the reactions he has been getting for this short film has been overwhelming to say the least. “It is not just because it’s been trending but also because it’s brought a lot of attention to an often overlooked area of how we can start with the boys and how we can make parents accountable,” he says. 

 

Towards the end of the video, a man with blood-shot eyes is seen twisting his wife’s hand and then Madhuri Dixit appears in a cameo where she says, “From a young age, we teach our boys that they shouldn’t cry, but it would be better if we taught them that boys don’t make others cry.”

 

Speaking of how the actress came on board Vinil says, “Madhuri brings a certain authority and credibility apart from her sheer star power. Being a mother of two boys she seemed the most natural choice. We requested her and she graciously agreed.”