Nearly in 70-years of history Bollywood has seen the female lead take on a variety of roles, from a selfless mother weeping damsel in distress to the woman in control of her own fate. Over the years in Bollywood, female characters are typically portrayed from a male point of view. Women have received unequal representation and opportunities in the film industry for many years due to gender inequality. Gender parity in film roles was a distant goal that took several decades to realise, and it took us years to get there.
Women in the industry are portrayed very differently now than they were twenty years ago, both in front of and behind the camera. Bollywood changed from what it was to what it is in the early 2000s. The millennial generation was gradually distancing itself from the beliefs that society had once held dear. This is mostly because viewers are becoming more conscious of how unequally these films are told. With more women involved in the writing process, female perspectives and opinions finally began to be explored.
Female characters now have traits that they were previously lacking. From playing the role of Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), to a role of a pregnant lady searching for her husband while strolling through Kolkata's streets Vidya Balan’s Kahaani opened doors for women centric films. Priyanka's two different roles in Aitraaz and Barfi to a role of individuality that gives her the courage to leave her toxic home in "Dil Dhadakne Do" (2015), Sridevi's determination to win her family's respect in "English Vinglish" (2012), and Alia's loyalty to serve her country in "Raazi" (2018) or be it 90’s actress Rani Mukerji having a Mardaani franchise. Bollywood welcomed the Golden Era for women in cinema.
The inclusion of more women in the writing process led to the exploration of female perspectives and opinions. During this wave amazing female directors like Zoya Akhtar whose films felt like a breath of fresh air, and Farah Khan whose choreographies and films were larger than life emerged.
In recent times, writers are depicting female characters with greater depth and complexity. These characters are now an integral part of the narrative and grapple with their own challenges, achieving triumphs and setbacks. As presented by Shoojit Sircar's "Piku" (2015), Anubhav Sinha's "Thappad" (2020), and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Gangubai Kathiawadi" (2022), it would be incorrect to claim that only female directors are producing this new wave of cinema.
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the film industry with regards to representation and opportunities for women. Rather than merely serving as love interests or appearing in musical numbers (item songs), movies are now centered around the stories of females themselves, offering a wider range of roles and genres for female actors to explore and choose from. Finally we can say the future of women centric movies looks promising.
Shreya Raut
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