Being a man in today’s world...

Being a man in today’s world is no joke — from a patriarchal setup in which man was the sole breadwinner of the family to sharing responsibilities of not only running the family but helping the woman with household chores — he has come a long way.
On International Men’s Day, we talk to some of Mollywood’s men brigade to get to know their thoughts on the subject
Jayasurya, actor
…I have only worries about how to take care of the women in my life
As a man, I have absolutely no problems in today’s world.It is the women who have problems, men have only worries; worries about how to take care of the women in their lives in the best possible manner. Believe me when I say that 99% of men worry about the same thing — how to make their mother, sister and children happy. Women are my strength and I will only try to care for them in the best possible manner.
Rajeev Pillai, actor
…I have to be more
competitive to be equal to women
Today’s women are confident, active and empowered and they are making their mark in every field. Hence men need to accept more challenges and also be more efficient to compete with them. We, men are still the same so I guess in the next 10 years we will have to struggle harder to be on par with them.
Joy Mathew, actor and director
…I am happy to be here as women have made our world a better place to live in
I feel comfortable as always. My circle of friends has always been filled with men and women and it is the same today. I guess women are more open today and most of them have amazing talent. Hence the give and take is more. Their participation in different fields of society is bringing a positive change and transformation around us. Hence I believe today’s women have made our world a better place to live and I am happy to be here.
Neeraj Madhav, Actor
…We don’t have
bonding spaces for
men these days
As boys we had a childhood and teenage spent mostly outdoors. The nearby cricket grounds and other hang out spots used to be not just playgrounds for boys but venues for bonding and forming friendships. I don’t see such spots now, and our bonding is reduced to phones and at the most a few coffee shops.
And yes, as a man, I love my freedom, to walk around at any time of the day and night, at the same time, I wish women too get the same freedom.
Vinay Forrt, Actor
…Women today have reduced our burdens
I feel extremely happy. We have all the freedom and liberty to walk around and do whatever we want. I enjoy being around so many independent and strong women. They have actually reduced our burdens, from running a family alone to being always protective and alert. They have made our lives a lot easier and relaxed.
Lal Jose, director
....I have to be alert while interacting with women
Men have to be very careful nowadays while communicating and interacting with women. My parents are teachers and I have been taught to respect women at home and school, still my films such as Diamond Necklace were criticised as male chauvinistic movies. I haven’t ever understood why it was tagged so. The world is now filled with terms like misogyny, sexism and chauvinism, which was never heard of in my younger days. There are new rules and criteria set for men to behave and respond now, and being old school, I feel conscious and alert!
Ramesh Pisharody, actor
... We are too divided based on gender these days
There is a lot of bias in our world in the name of region, religion, race and so on. However, the biggest discrimination is based on gender. We have forgotten to think of ourselves as human beings nowadays. We celebrate Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, Children’s Day and even Men’s Day but not Human’s Day! So being a man in today’s world I think is difficult as we are facing today’s women who are very empowered.