Would Rhea from Hum Tum really fall for Karan if she was a Gen Z?

As headstrong as she was, Rani Mukerji still falls for an absolute red flag of a guy in Hum Tum, and we wonder if this would really happen if she was from a different generation altogether.

For decades, Hindi cinema has been the flag bearer of male characters who have pretty much been a man-child throughout the film, and somehow, it is the woman’s responsibility to ‘fix’ him. This was the Indian version of the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. Hum Tum which was released in 2004, went on to be one of the most iconic films of our time. But as you grow up, you know better. While Rani Mukerji’s character, Rhea Prakash was ahead of her time, she still somehow melts for the wrong guy. She was independent, opinionated, and highly educated. Even the man she initially got married to wasn’t the ‘tauliya laao type’  like she loves to mention. He was someone who met her mid-way, put in 50% of the work, and did his part in their relationship. But life had other plans. And when it gives her a second chance, she falls for an absolute mansplainer who thinks he knows better than everyone.

Ever thought if the climax really would be the same if she was a Gen Z? The answer is pretty much a no-brainer. Gen Z’s know exactly what they want, and they go after it. We can smell pretentious behavior from afar, but we can also tell when someone is genuine. This is our time; we make the rules, we don’t abide by the done and dusted orthodox expectations from society, be it who we want as our partner, recognize red flags in someone else and ourselves too, prioritize mental health, and actually maintain a work-life balance! So, in my opinion, if Rhea was all of this and more, she would be leading a whole different and maybe much better life than what was written for her or may be have given Mihir Vora (Karan's friend) a chance. 

Also Read: 13 wholesome things from the fictional world that bring us happiness every damn time!

Here’s everything we think she would do differently as a Gen Z!

She would probably never even notice Karan in the first place

As a Gen Z, we doubt she would even entertain Karan’s tantrums and annoying habits half as much as she did. She probably would just scoff him off and never take out her earphones during the plane ride, which is the first time they met. Imagine how many red flags she skips just by avoiding him in the first place. No one would constantly be loud in her face, and neither would she be kissed without her consent. This also makes me wonder how it was even remotely okay or allowed in the script at all. Rhea would one hundred percent be dodging a bullet as a Gen Z. In a world of boys, she deserved a gentleman.

She would learn to express her grief better through therapy

In the second half, she was shown to be this person who bottled up all her grief and just never expressed her sadness, or spoke, or showed any emotions at all if you think about it. The Gen Z version of her would definitely learn to prioritize her mental health and let out her grief when needed. 

She would one hundred percent have a famous clothing line

She had a boutique of her own in Paris when she started her life from scratch again. But being around Karan one could barely grow themselves so forget an entire business. But as a Gen Z she would’ve probably promoted it more on social media and created an entire clothing line for herself. She totally passes the boss lady vibe, and if she really put her mind to it, she would definitely conquer the fashion industry.

She and her mom aka Pam aunty would travel the world 

Together, both of them were such a fun mother-daughter duo. Rhea was calm to her mom’s chaos. They both went through similar issues in their life, but that never stopped them from losing hope. A sequel watching just the two of them travel the world and explore different cultures would be way more epic than the disappointing climax she really got!

She would definitely put an end to the whole ‘the woman has to fix the man’ trope!

She would not spend half the movie fixing him and his life. Of course like we mentioned earlier she would never speak to him in the first place but even if she did, she wouldn’t be cleaning his mess and neither would she be his second mom. She would be an example for younger girls that your partner shouldn’t be your project and that’s not what anyone should waste their time doing.

Well, we made our own alternate scenario with a better ending and with a Gen Z version of Rhea, she was too good to be true and she deserved so much better! Do you think they should've ended up together? Let us know in the comments below!

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