City Lights, Closed Minds

“Is Watching Movies a Crime?” 

This morning, I stumbled upon a story that shook something inside me. She didn't say it with anger just honesty. A girl spoke about her childhood. No name-dropping, no dramatic monologue , just raw truth. Born and brought up in a city, yet locked inside a mindset so tight, even air needed permission to pass. No phones. No movies. 

Why?

Because “a girl should stay within her limits.”

She said she wasn't even allowed to watch movies ,something most of us take for granted. Not because of financial constraints, but due to a deep-seated belief system. Her house wasn’t in the woods. It was in a city, yet her world felt like a cage built on invisible morals.

But here's the twist.

She broke the bubble.

Now, she walks the halls of a reputed institution, smarter, stronger, and soaring despite what society did to clip her wings.

And it made me wonder…

Why is watching movies still seen as ‘corrupting’ in some households?

Is cinema a threat or a mirror?

Are stories only for boys to learn from?

When did enjoying a film become equivalent to losing morals?

Society still whispers behind backs

“She’s too modern.”

“She’s too backward.”

“She’s too loud.”

“She’s too silent.”

You see the irony, right?

The moment a girl speaks, she’s too much. The moment she stays silent, she’s not enough.

The moment she chooses to be with her parents, she’s labelled dependent.

The moment she wants space, she’s tagged rebellious.

Why is there no in-between?

Reality Check: Judgement is still trending sadly.

We live in a world where we celebrate progress on Instagram stories but practise prejudice behind closed doors.

We tweet about freedom and choice but enforce control when it hits close to home.

We preach empowerment but only till it’s convenient.

She is the rebellion they feared

That girl who wasn’t allowed to watch movies is now scripting her own.

She turned the pages of judgment into paragraphs of power.

She made it to the top, not because society helped her  but because she chose herself.

 Final thought:

So here's my question to the world —

> Is watching a movie a crime? Or is dreaming the actual sin in your eyes?

> Is being with parents a weakness? Or is that just your fear of emotional strength masked as judgment?

Let’s stop confusing culture with control.

Let’s stop disguising fear as tradition.

Let’s stop punishing girls for wanting to live.

Because stories like hers deserve to be heard loud, clear, and unapologetically real.