It is shocking that this has to be said in words – Obsession is a film about a man taking away a woman’s consent, keeping her as a hostage and violating her repeatedly because he feels he is entitled to ‘have her’. A part of the audience would presume that this doesn’t need to be explained, because what else this Curry Barker film would be about?But here comes the googly – a large part of the Indian audience has unfortunately missed the point of the film entirely and has come up with insane theories where they have sympathised with the man, claiming that he is the victim of a toxic relationship. Other misreadings of the film include the woman being labelled as a ‘crazy girlfriend’, and the man being the victim of the ‘male loneliness epidemic’. Some have also read it literally as, ‘Be careful what you wish for’, and no surprises, but this is not what Obsession is about. Indian audience has completely missed the point of the film.He holds her hostage, pretends to be the victimThe audience aspect needs to be highlighted here because in the last few days, Obsession has become a major talking point on social media, and not just in the US, but also in India. The low budget and the comparatively young age of the director are being highlighted.The shocking turn came when desi creators started making reels with text like, “I wish I had this kind of love” and overlaying it with romantic Hindi songs. In a country where data is less expensive than clean water, when creators start posting, “Mujhe aisi bandi chahiye (I want to be with a girl like this)”, you know that the point of the film has not even been understood. The ‘bandi’ here is a hostage who has no control over her mind and body, but Indian men (mostly) are romanticising this and reading this like a love story gone wrong. When creators start posting, “Mujhe aisi bandi chahiye (I want to be with a girl like this)”, you know that the point of the film has not even been understood.ALSO READ | I watched Obsession. The CBFC watched it too and decided what other adults could seeAnd it is not like one needs to be a cinephile or a film scholar to understand what this film has to say. Obsession’s events trigger when Bear ‘wishes’ that Nikki loves him ‘more than anyone in the world’. It is at this point that Nikki transforms and turns into a version of herself that exists only to please Bear. Her agency is taken away and whatever little we have learnt about her from the film so far, is completely erased from her personality because that version does not align with what Bear wants. He behaves like all of this is beyond his control, but he continues to assault her and take advantage of her despite knowing that her true self is not in her body anymore.The ‘obsession’ is his, not hersWhen a sleeping Nikki’s real self mumbles in her sleep and pleads with Bear to kill her, so she can get out of this trap, he asks, “What’s so bad about being with me?” She responds, “I’ve never been with you, Bear.” By this point, he is fully aware that Nikki is not herself, yet he can’t let go of the ego trip he initially felt when he started dating ‘possessed’ Nikki. Even after knowing that Nikki’s real-self does not love him, Bear cannot accept that Nikki does not want to be with him.Story continues below this ad Even after knowing that Nikki’s real-self does not love him, Bear cannot accept that Nikki does not want to be with him.In the scene where he calls the helpline of One Wish Willow, he first demands his wish to be altered. When he is told that this is not an option, he sheepishly asks to cancel the wish, as if it were some subscription that he accidentally clicked on. At this point, he can hear the screams of Nikki’s real-self in the background but continues to be with her, pretending to be the victim. The ‘obsession’ mentioned in the title is his, not hers.Bear’s obsession with Nikki is dangerous right from the start as he is the one holding all the cards. When he realises that she has turned into someone whom he can’t control anymore, she becomes a liability for him and he describes her as someone who is “obsessed” with him. He is not a victim of ‘male loneliness’ but a live example of ‘incel culture’ ruining innocent women’s lives.ALSO READ | Bollywood’s crimes against women: Consent proof in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, patriarchy apologist in Mr and Mrs MahiIndians learning wrong lessons, because that’s what Bollywood taught usObsession is a horror story for Nikki for she is the one who us trapped by this man, who she thought was a friend, even though she wants to. She had no say in getting embroiled in this mess but because she was an object of admiration for Bear, she is now a victim of sexual assault and harassment. Obsession is the kind of horror story that women relate to because a seemingly innocent man can be just as dangerous as someone who rashly drives an SUV with black-tinted glasses and music blasting through the speakers in the dead of the night on the streets of Delhi.Story continues below this adBut the majority of the Indian audience, sadly, has grasped all the wrong lessons from this film. And the fear is that now, Bollywood too, might walk away with those lessons as well, for their understanding of consent has always been poor, and the portrayal of a female character with agency is rare.