Indian actor Nishant Dahiya, who played the role of Diwakar Kumar in the film Mrs., revealed that he received intense hate messages after the film's release.
The film, which premiered in February 2025, explores themes of gender roles and patriarchy, focusing on the character Richa (played by Sanya Malhotra), whose aspirations as a dancer are crushed after her marriage to Diwakar, who represents the patriarchal system.
While Mrs. received positive reviews, Nishant's portrayal of Diwakar, a toxic and unsupportive husband, sparked strong reactions, especially from men.
Nishant admitted in an interview that some men sent him disturbing and violent messages, such as "Go eat rat poison" and "Die somewhere, you mother****er!" These extreme responses were unexpected for him, particularly because they came from men. He speculated that these reactions might be due to something in Diwakar’s character that struck a nerve with them.
Despite the harsh backlash, Nishant also received messages from women who expressed their dislike for Diwakar's character but praised his acting.
He acknowledged that his character was not inherently bad, but rather, he was a product of a patriarchal system that shaped his beliefs and actions without him recognizing the harm he was causing.
Initially, Nishant had refused the role after watching the original Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen, in which Diwakar's character also represented toxic masculinity.
However, after conversations with the film's director and casting team, he reconsidered and took on the challenging role of portraying a character many would see as unsympathetic.
Mrs. has sparked discussions about its portrayal of patriarchy and women's freedom to make choices, whether in their careers or domestic roles. Some critics labeled the film as promoting "toxic feminism," but Nishant defended it, emphasizing that the film was about respecting women's choices and not imposing societal expectations on them.
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