'darlings' to 'kuttey': why do filmmakers use 'the scorpion and the frog' fable?

A fable is a short fictional story that features animals or legendary creatures that are anthropomorphized (given human characteristics), with the goal of leaving the audience with a moral

lesson. 'The Scorpion and the Frog' is one of them. If the fable sounds familiar to you, you've probably heard Tabu narrate it in her latest film _Kuttey._ We have also seen

it being narrated in Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah's _Darlings_. But this isn't the first time it has been referenced in films. The fable has been cherished by filmmakers and writers

for years. To find out why, let's cross this river together. THE ORIGIN OF THE FABLE 'The Scorpion and the Frog' originated in Russia in the early 20th century. The fable was

first used in storytelling in 1933, in Lev Nitoburg's Russian novel 'The German Quarter'_. _The tale didn't gain popularity until Orson Welles used it in his popular

monologue from the 1955 film _Mr Arkadin,_ aka _Confidential Report._ Before we get into the reason behind its surging popularity in cinema and why it is so important for writers,

here's an overview of the fable: > A frog and a scorpion meet on the bank of a river. Unable to swim, > the scorpion asks the frog to carry him on his back. Afraid of being > 

stung, the frog raises his suspicion. But the scorpion argues that > if he does so, both will drown. The frog agrees, but halfway across > the river, the scorpion stings him, dooming 

them both. When asked > why, the scorpion responds, "This is my nature. I can't help it." The moral of 'The Scorpion and the Frog' fable is that scorpions, like

humans, can't overcome their nature, even when it works against their interests. It’s the compulsion to do something you know is wrong. But the overwhelming emotion persists and drives

you to act compulsively. It also demonstrates that people have a trusting side, conceivably even an over-trusting side, but you must know someone to the core in order to trust them entirely.

The fable of 'The Scorpion and the Frog' plays a crucial role in conveying the subtext of _Mr Arkadin. _It aids in revealing the true nature of the film as well as the identity of

its main character, Mr Arkadin._ _It also leaves the viewers wondering if he is just a symbol for his primal nature. WHY DO FILMMAKERS USE IT? We often criticise films and shows that are

overly simplistic or heavily reliant on cliches or genre conventions. In order to make their stories new and refreshing, writers often struggle to get past this issue. Fables are the

literary devices that can be used at such times. > 'The Scorpion and the Frog' fable, when used as an allegory, can > lend itself exceptionally well to storytelling. But 

unlike > metaphors, allegories are used throughout the story to emphasize the > key ideas that are symbolic to the audience. It not only assists in > the creation of an engaging 

plot but builds intriguing character > arcs as well. The tale of 'The Scorpion and the Frog' has been referenced in countless films and shows throughout the years for the same

reason. For instance, in Ryan Gosling's _Drive, _his character's nature is to 'sting' but he finds himself in the role of a rescuer. The allegory adds more complexity to

his character, leaving the audience to gauge whether he is the good guy or not. Ricky Gervais' _After Life, _on the other hand, uses the fable to reassure Tony (Ricky's character)

that he's not the venomous, self-destructive scorpion that he convinced himself to be; rather, he is the vulnerable, trusting frog that he believed he was harming. Other popular films

and shows that have use the fable include _The Crying Game _(1992), _Killing Eve, Orange Is the New Black, Supernatural, _and _The Umbrella Academy._ THE SCORPION AND THE FROG IN BOLLYWOOD

The fable isn't as new to Bollywood as you may think. If not explicitly, several filmmakers have borrowed inspiration from the fable while writing the core characters of their films. A

few of these characters include Sanjay Dutt's Balaram Prasad from _Khalnayak_, Saif Ali Khan's Ishwar 'Langda' Tyagi from _Omkara_, and Abhishek Bachchan's Lallan

Singh from _Yuva_. All these characters, like the scorpion, can't overcome their true nature, even though it serves their ill-intentioned interests. Though they foray into a new world

in an attempt to become a better version of themselves, they are compelled to give in to their primal nature towards the end. Similarly, _Darlings_ features Alia Bhatt as the sensitive,

defenceless frog whose trust issues with her abusive husband Hamza (played by Vijay Varma), keep harming her on a daily basis. Aasmaan Bhardwaj's _Kuttey, _on the other hand, presents

several analogies that centre on the behaviour of animals in the wild, as the film comments on the themes of human greed, treachery, and desperation. Tabu, who plays a police officer in the

twisted thriller, narrates the tale of 'The Scorpion and the Frog', giving the film's epilogue the title — _Mendhak Aur Bichchoo. _The allegory further leads the plot of the

film to its conclusion. Published: 19 Jan 2023, 11:26 AM IST