In traditional Gujarati middle-class culture, the “pura” (pol) or standalone house signified male authority. The shift to flats (apartments) in the last two decades has altered domestic space. The phrase flat purusho maate emerges in colloquial discourse—often ironically—to describe men who must adapt to smaller, shared, vertically stacked homes. This paper asks: How does flat living reconfigure masculine roles?
The supernatural elements and spirit manifestations are seamlessly executed for an immersive experience. flat purusho maate
The Gujarati phrase “flat purusho maate” (ફ્લેટ પુરુષો માટે) translates literally to “for flat men.” This paper interprets “flat men” as urban male residents of multi-story apartments in Western Indian cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara. We explore how the spatial constraints, anonymity, and vertical living of flats reshape masculine identities—traditionally tied to land, houses, and public visibility. Using ethnographic interviews and spatial analysis, we argue that flat living produces a “flattened masculinity”: less hierarchical, more domestically engaged, yet conflicted between traditional patriarchal expectations and new domestic realities. This paper asks: How does flat living reconfigure