05 April,2026 09:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Akshita Maheshwari
Elvish Yadav is a YouTuber who blends humour with alpha-male posturing, often using sexist insults and public shaming women
Women are born with intrinsic value. Their looks and fertility make them permanently valuable to society. Men, on the other hand, are born with nothing. They must âearn' the value that they possess," says a man in Louis Theroux's new documentary Inside The Manosphere. In the last decade, the manosphere has gone from the odd incel to a full-blown movement with "influencers" now teaching millions of young followers to simultaneously think of women as the enemy, as well as objects to be acquired to prove their dominance.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga is a filmmaker who popularises hyper-masculine protagonists (Kabir Singh, Animal) who are emotionally abusive and violent towards women. PIC/GETTY IMAGES
In India, the manosphere is complicated by repackaging misogyny as cultural expression. Feminism is seen as anti-family and anti-religion. Arranged marriage systems, caste endogamy, and community surveillance also play a part in enforcing misogyny. What's also interesting is that women also subscribe to this ideology. We give you a look of what the Indian manosphere looks like.
Sarthak Goel promotes "masculine dominance" in relationships, framing emotional vulnerability as weakness. PIC/INSTAGRAM@sarthakgoel1212
With over 23,500 followers, Tulip Sharma's Instagram bio reads, "modest, traditionalist, Manuwadi". The 23-year-old Raipur-based criminal lawyer has built an impressive resume, from speaking at the Parliament to serving as state in-charge of the National Legal Rights Consortium under the aegis of Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. By all appearances, she's a prime example of female independence.
Tulip Sharma is a self-proclaimed "anti-feminist"
And yet, she calls herself "anti-feminism". She offers three reasons: "The Left uses feminism to gather a female audience and brainwash them into becoming anti-India and anti-Hindu. Secondly, the line between advocating for women and hating men has blurred. Thirdly, feminism is anti-religion. There are theorists who say that if you have caste-pride, you cannot be a feminist. Does that mean I must give up my faith to be a feminist?"
She argues feminism is a Western import, pointing instead to figures like Gargi, Maitreyi, and Lopamudra (female sages credited for contributing to vedas and upanishad in ancient India) and Rani Lakshmibai as examples of empowered women in Indian history. We bite down the urge to point out that all the women she has mentioned broke gender roles of their time.
Thoppi is a PUBG gamer who represents the meme-driven, Gen Z edge of the manosphere. He uses humour to normalise objectification and hostility toward women. PIC/INSTAGRAM@mrz_thoppimass
What should the role of women be in modern society? "I believe women are nurturers. Women who want to pursue careers should absolutely do so, but they should take up roles that suit them biologically and psychologically."
"The current corporate framework in India is not suitable for women. Women are exploited, harassed; there is no framework to stop it," she adds. What are those jobs? "Any work-from-home job, teaching, community service, volunteering, or even a defence counsel, where you can decide your own hours."
Most of these jobs are low-paying, we point out. "I believe well-being should be the first priority, and money should be secondary," she says, adding that men, however, must prioritise earning because of society's expectations.
Dev Tyagi pushes control-based relationship advice like restricting girlfriends from having male friends. PIC/INSTAGRAM@dev_tyagi_unfazed
We ask her about her choice of criminal law; is that a good fit for women? "Not always. In criminal law, one needs to be very assertive and courageous. Women who are timid or reserved may find it difficult," she says, "I have always been outspoken and straight-foward, so I've been able to pursue it."
Andrew Tate is the worldwide leader of the manosphere. PIC/GETTY IMAGES
The appeal of the manosphere, Ipsita Chatterjee explains, lies in how carefully it is packaged. "Some of this content, as dangerous as it is, is given in very intellectual language. It feels very real," she says. By spotlighting selective cases and framing men as victims, it creates a narrative that is easy to buy into.
"As people who's been victims of the system themselves, women's instinct is to show up with empathy," she says. So when men position themselves as wronged, women may feel compelled to respond with care rather than critique. This is further reinforced by conditioning. "Women are told their entire life to look for ârough and tough' provider men," she adds.
In the manosphere, even misogynistic men are constantly surrounded by women. PIC/ISTOCK
"We're not immune to the internalisation of misogyny that exists in society," she says, pointing out that these beliefs are ingrained from a young age. "The onus should not be on women to know all of this - we've been survivors of oppression for centuries." In fact, aligning with such men can even feel rewarding. "Performing these roles may offer not respect, but at least acceptance" - a powerful incentive in an unequal system.
Harsh Gujral is a comedian whose stand up acts frequently leans on gender stereotypes and casual sexism. PIC/GETTY IMAGES
In 2024, Nora Fatehi went viral for saying, "Feminism has had a negative impact on society," emphasising women's role as "nurturers". In the last few weeks, she's been in controversy again after her latest Bollywood song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke was banned for vulgar lyrics. Fatehi said that she had no idea what the song's lyrics were since it was originally filmed in Kannada.
Journalist Devrupa Rakshit made an Instagram post arguing that distancing herself from feminism didn't save Fatehi from exploitation in the system. We ask Rakshit what makes the manosphere tempting for a woman? She says, "It's important to understand that in addition to oppressing women, the patriarchy also rewards compliance. For many women, especially those who have closely witnessed the social, economic, or even physical consequences of resisting gender norms, submission can feel like a strategy for safety and stability."
She believes that the manosphere is especially complicated in India because of the cultural context. "There's a strong cultural narrative that frames feminism as Western or anti-family, while positioning submission as natural and spiritually fulfilling. They're then packaged as empowerment - like choosing softness, tradition, and femininity."
PIC/PINTEREST@AMAR, PIC/PINTEREST@MrvBhtyr and The films and TV shows that potray toxic masculinity. PIC/PINTEREST
Late-stage capitalism has made work feel increasingly dehumanising. The idea of becoming a "trad wife", then, can seem less like an escape from burnout, precarity, and relentless productivity. What often goes unrecognised, however, is that this shift may simply replace one form of constraint with another, such as a lack of financial agency.
How is the Indian manosphere different from the Western one? "Manosphere content in the West usually revolves around dating, sexual access, and individual autonomy. In India, ideas about controlling women are often justified through concepts like protecting culture and family honour," she says.
Women are also victims of the patriarchy, and so there is a need for empathy, she suggests. But that empathy has its limits. When relatively privileged women actively promote these ideas, it risks reinforcing the very structures that more marginalised women have far less room to escape.
Counselling psychologist Dr Paras Sharma, who has a PhD in psychology, with a focus on masculine identity, believes, "Boys are often raised in gender-segregated spaces where they're discouraged from interacting with girls," he says, "Then suddenly, as adults, they're expected to date and get married." This leads to emotional dependence on a partner, or avoidance altogether.
Sharma notes that in his practice, "a lot of men report compulsive consumption of pornography⦠sometimes to the point where they don't prefer real relationships." "Earlier, there wasn't pushback. Now partners are asking for more - boundaries, equality - and that's where distress begins," he explains, "Many men struggle to set boundaries with family. They feel torn, but instead of addressing that, women become the easy dumping bag."
For younger men, Sharma argues, misogyny is the norm. "Non-consensual sharing of intimate images, AI generated deepfake nudes, throwing lewd comments - these are part of the normal experience of schools and colleges today," he says. In our media too, from item songs to mainstream cinema, "the male gaze has always dominated." He argues, "India never needed the manosphere. It's the mainstream here."
When he was 16, Aarav Garg came across a looksmaxxing incel, Rohan [name changed]. Looksmaxxing is the Gen Z version of incel culture that seeks to "maximise" one's appearance, driven by the belief that women only care about looks. Rohan first came on Garg's radar after he began sending his friend persistent, creepy messages, when she asked Garg to intervene.
"I told him to back off. Immediately, he started attacking me, asking me, âWhat is your height?'" recalls Garg, now 20. Soon, the messages escalated. "Have you ever received attention from a 7+/10 girl after you hit puberty?" one DM read. Another said, "I currently view you as a fat loner virgin⦠I'll help you fix this. I'll fat-shame you every day, sorry not sorry."
Looks are currency in Rohan's world. In his own way, he believed he was helping. "He told me I was the 11th contact on his phone," says Garg, "I could tell he was very lonely." "Incels think women are shallow and only care about looks," Garg explains, "So they obsess over their appearance. But when that doesn't work, it turns into self-hatred, and then hatred towards women."
In 2022, "Andrew Tate was just starting to become a mainstream name. There was a well-known case of suicide [16-year-old Arvey Malhotra who was bullied for his sexuality] at that time in my hometown, Faridabad," says Garg. It's more confusing than ever to be a teenager - navigating gender politics, facing the prospect of global war, and rising economic challenges. And so, young men turn to the manosphere, where an Andrew Tate provides an easy and tangible target that is causing all your problems: women.
The manosphere consists of, but is not limited to, different groups such as:
>> Incels: Short for "involuntary celibates"; they feel entitled to sex and bear extreme hostility towards women for not providing it
>> Men's rights activists: Focus on issues like child custody and false accusations of sexual assault, alleging that legal systems favour women
>> Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW): Advocates for men to separate themselves from relationships with women and from mainstream society, which they believe is prejudiced against them
>> Looksmaxxers: Aim to maximise their physical appearance because they believe that women are superficial beings who only care about looks
>> Pick-up artistes: Focus on techniques to seduce and manipulate women into sexual relationships
The manosphere is a collection of influencers and online communities dedicated to promoting masculinity. Under the guide of dispensing tips on dating, grooming, health, it is often misogynistic and strongly opposes feminism.
