Kathmandu, Feb. 19 -- If you grew up under the influence of Bollywood films, it is likely they shaped your idea of masculinity. One, fuelled by the portrayal of the man as the protector, the creator and the embodiment of strength, and fury.

Growing up in a middle-class South Asian family, the media access I was given was chosen by the men in the family--they were the ones in charge of the VCR and the remote control. Men had more knowledge of technology than women did because of their access to wealth, education, public spaces and thereby, technology itself!

The selection of films that were brought home were mostly masculine. (Visiting cinemas was not really a thing for the middle-class in those days.) There were many mainstream Bollywo...