'Bang Bang!': Why it was unnecessary to portray Katrina Kaif as a sad, single, damsel in distress

New Delhi: Katrina Kaif's character is introduced to us through her day-to-day activities and chores. A bank receptionist, Harleen Sahani is constantly pestered by her old grandmother to find a boyfriend and settle down.

"I had had some 30 boyfriends by the time I was your age," says her grandmother with a flourish, in one scene.

Warning! This article contains spoilers from the recently-released film 'Bang Bang!'. If you haven't seen the film, we suggest you watch it, and then come back to this article.

Kaif, who's main job is to look good, sigh, scream, screech and take showers at regular intervals throughout the film, is showcased as a sad, lonely bank receptionist.

With perfect hair, impeccable dressing sense and a seemingly unlimited collection of beanies, Kaif eats ice-cream in bed, sighs at her fate, and finally, after watching a random advertisement on late night television, registers on an online blind dating website.

Among other things, we thought that a gorgeous, independent small-town woman should be shown in such light, a little unrealistic and regressive. Harleen's grandmother's insistence on marriage seems in line with that generation's values, but what about Harleen herself?

While 'Bang Bang!' portrays the lead actor Hrithik Roshan's Rajveer Nanda almost like a Superman, Harleen has been fashioned after a shy, klutzy version of Louis Lane.

But 'Knight And Day', the inspiration for 'Bang Bang!', has quite a different female protagonist in comparison. Cameron Diaz's June Havens restores cars, has raised her little sister almost by herself, and is not used to taking orders or being "saved" by good-looking, questionable secret agents.

'Bang Bang!', an average film with great visual treats, has adapted, shaped and modified the storyline of 'Knight And Day' to suit the Indian audiences. But we think that they should have let the leading lady alone.

We'd have loved to see Katrina Kaif kick some serious ass, and help Hrithik Roshan in those mind-bogglingly awesome stunts and fight sequences.

Damsels in distress are so passée. We'd have liked to see a tough, sexy leading lady compliment the heroics of the good-looking, super hero. Seriously.