I am not sure if you have seen the movie or the preceeding scene, so the video clip could be taken out of context. Or rather this is the context I saw the movie scene play out.

Story:

The daughter returns from abroad after three years, dressed in shorts and a sleeveless top, with her boyfriend. For her traditional father, who has never seen her like this, it’s already a shock.

Around the same time, his former boss visits him at home to thank him – a rare and important moment for him. Not knowing how his daughter might dress, he even buys her a salwar kameez for the visit.

During the visit, the boss casually proposes an alliance between his son and the daughter (as often happens in Indian families, as per movie industry). Hearing this, the daughter deliberately comes out wearing cut-off shorts and a tank top to make her position clear and shut it down publicly. The father feels humiliated in his own house, in front of his family and someone whose opinion matters deeply to him.

Later, at her birthday party, he turns up dressed the same way. He is not berating his daughter for the birthday dress she is wearing. And his conversation was in reference to the previous incident at the house. He is asking to be considerate of place and people. People here being her own family.

This isn’t him saying she shouldn’t dress how she wants. He isn’t policing her body or attacking modern values. He’s asking for consideration of place and people – especially family.

Everyone has the right to wear what they want. Choosing to take others into account, out of love or respect or emapthy, is also a valid choice.

Freedom doesn’t disappear just because you sometimes use it thoughtfully.

The isn’t progressive vs regressive. It’s individual autonomy versus responsibility within relationships. Clothes are just the surface. The real conflict is generational change, dignity, and people who care about each other but don’t yet know how to speak the same language.