Rewatching with New Eyes.. Turns out, perspective isn’t fixed; it grows with you.

I’ve always believed that you should re-read the same books and re-watch the same movies at two different stages in your life.

Because you change, your beliefs shift, your empathy deepens and your boundaries get clearer. Something you once loved might suddenly make you cringe. Something you dismissed before might now hit you right in the gut.

So this week, I rewatched two movies.

Gehraiyaan

The first was Gehraiyaan. I remember watching it during COVID and absolutely hating everything about it. Maybe because, back then, I was someone who could only see the world in black and white.

I may not love Gehraiyaan, but I understand it now. The messiness, the emotional baggage, the intergenerational trauma, the relationships that defy labels, they make sense in a way they didn’t before.

But if you ask me now, five years later? I’d say there are greys everywhere.

My perspective has definitely changed.But that’s a story for another time.

The movie I really want to talk about is Thappad

We watched it as a family when it released in theatres. I remember being stunned by its quiet power. It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t preachy and that’s exactly why Thappad had that impact.

Tapsee’s portrayal of Amrita, a woman who chooses dignity over comfort was something I could empathise with even then. She made me feel seen in ways I couldn’t fully explain. And after all these years, I still love the film just as much.

But this time, on rewatching, I fell in love with someone else…

Maya Sarao’s character (Netra), Amrita’s lawyer…

She’s not the main lead, but she stood out with her quiet strength and unshakable clarity. She wasn’t just supporting Amrita. She was walking her own path, navigating her own choices, her own heartbreak and in many ways, her own healing.

This time I could finally appreciate how Netra’s found her own voice while helping Amrita find hers.

Women cheering for women will always be my favourite genre and Thappad delivered that with grace and nuance.

And then there’s RHTDM

A movie I adored as a a teenager!

It had drama, music, passion, butterflies… All the right ingredients for a teenage love story. Maddy was the dream guy, and every scene felt like magic back then.

But rewatching it now?

Let’s just say… I cringed my way through most of it.

The emotional manipulation. The toxic obsession dressed up as romance. The entitlement. How did I not see any of this? It’s wild how many of us grew up believing that was love.

What once gave me heart-eyes now gives me a heartburn.

A Quote That Stays With Me

I had read this beautiful quote:

“A whole generation worked to empower women but failed to teach men how to live with empowered women.”

It’s time that changed. Empowering women is not just about giving them space, but making sure the world doesn’t punish them for taking it.

We can’t just raise strong daughters. We have to raise sons who can live with, love and respect strong women; without being threatened by them.

Final Thoughts

What stood out to me after watching these films again wasn’t just the content, but how differently I experienced them.

A movie I loved as a kid (RHTDM) now feels regressive.

A film I rejected (Gehraiyaan) now makes sense.

And a film I already respected (Thappad) feels even more powerful

Maybe that’s the beauty of rewatching

Because sometimes the movie doesn’t change, you do.