A few days back, a report on the first-ever UN sponsored global study of female characters in popular films across the world caught my eye. It says that 35 per cent of the female characters in Indian movies are shown in various degrees of nudity. This got me thinking about the women in Indian cinema.
From being a demure damsel in distress to an independent, strong and opinionated individual of today – the film industry today teems with women-led films that are setting their own benchmarks at the box office. A ‘She-ro’ in the true sense, the leading ladies of Bollywood no longer dance around the tree in a white chiffon sari. “Mary Kom” (2014) created history at the box office with a spectacular 30 crore weekend opening, delivering a knockout performance that even some of the big boys in the industry can’t pull off.
The quintessential woman who is crying for justice, waiting for a knight in shining armour to come to her rescue is replaced by “Mardaani” (2014), a cop who is herself a keeper of justice. Narratives like “Kahaani” (2012) wherein a pregnant woman sets out to avenge her husband’s death to “Highway” (2014) wherein the captor turns captive is another factor that is setting a trend of niche concept based cinema that is now commercially successful as well.
“Queen” (2014), another jewel that shone at the box office, did away with the stereotypes with the Rani from Rajouri Garden travelling solo abroad for a “honeymoon”, which eventually resulted in the emergence of a new woman, who found a place in the viewer’s heart. Crossing into the celebrated 100 crore club, this film reflects the shift from so-called formula movies to widened and empowering story boards.
From films like “Heroine” (2012) and “Dirty Picture” (2011) where a woman fights till the end but misses her mark by a whisker to upcoming film “Margarita, with a Straw” (2015) that is not only liberating but endearing as well, women in Bollywood have truly come a long way. So while the UN report may indicate numbers that say otherwise, I believe that we pave the path for new age cinema that slowly but surely will engulf and revolutionise entertainment.
(The writer is the COO of Viacom18 Motion Pictures)
