A few years ago, filmmaker Avinash Das, came across a short video of Bhojpuri erotic songs. The vocalist had Das transfixed. “What intrigued me was her expressionless face,” he reminisces. “I wondered what her life would be like and started researching on the community.” Soon enough he realised that these artistes’ lives are fraught with peril but they remain brave in the face of it. It pushed him to make Anaarkali of Aarah with a firecracker of a protagonist who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself, who will take on an entitled man even if he’s in position of power.
Anaarkali of Aarah is one in a long line of recent films (both released and upcoming) centred around fiery, feisty women. There certainly is a trend, however, it isn’t a new one. Just last week, the 64th National Awards recognised the impact of two women-led films in the Indian film industry. There’s Neerja which not only won The Best Hindi Film award, but also saw the film’s star Sonam Kapoor receive a Special Mention certificate. Then there’s Pink which took home The Best Film on Social Issues award. Indeed, the films are getting appreciated, but does that translate to a viable financial and business model?
The fair sex
As trade expert Sreedhar Pillai points out, the Hindi film industry has experienced periodic phases in which a woman has been leading a film from the front. The recent steady wave, definitely started with the surprise success of Vidya Balan’s The Dirty Picture in 2011 and Kahaani in 2012. Heroine and English Vinglish followed quick on the heels. The year 2014 proved to be a landmark year with Highway , Dedh Ishqiya , Gulaab Gang , Revolver Rani , Bobby Jasoos , Mary Kom , Mardaani and the game changer — Queen . The following year Anushka Sharma turned producer with NH 10 (2015) and there was Piku with Deepika Padukone, and her relationship with her father (played by Amitabh Bachchan), in focus. Last year things picked up again with Pink and Neerja at the forefront and Parched , Kahaani 2 , Nil Battey Sannata , Chalk and Duster , Dear Zindag i , Phobia , Jai Gangaajal , Akira bringing up the rear. And it seems the trend is set to continue in 2017, with Anaarkali … Poorna and Naam Shabana out in the theatres and Begum Jaan , Noor , Haseena and more waiting in the wings.
But the growing numbers aside has there been an evolution in the female narratives? “These films put female characters in the centre and don’t adhere to any formula,” says Shailesh Kapoor of Ormax Media, an insights firm specialising in media. While heroines take centrestage, heroes don’t seem to mind going to the sidelines and gender roles are getting redefined, slowly but surely. You even have leading male superstars fighting for women’s cause, like Aamir Khan in Dangal .
What has brought on this persistent focus on the female protagonist? Is it just a matter of coincidence or a passing fad? Are they being made for the heck of it? Filmmaker Paromita Vohra sees it vis-a-vis contemporary state of affairs. “The current political culture is driven by a certain kind of male figure which curtails the freedom and emotional self actualisation of women,” she says. “In a way, the [female-led] films become an antidote to that.” Pillai sees a stronger social core in today’s films what with women getting more assertive in real life as well. Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji of Begum Jaan concurs—that cinema is merely reflecting the society. “Across all spheres, women are increasingly becoming vocal about their rights, struggles, their freedom of choice,” he says. “That is finding its expression through the cinematic idiom.” We can take it back to Nirbhaya rape case of 2012 and the discourse it sparked off. The protest against violence and brutality, the stress on consent and the call for gender equality have been reverberating in society and reflecting in films as well. The latest, and a tad righteous, spark has also been lit by the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign.
Then there’s Das who says that Bollywood has not explored women’s stories enough and is therefore capitalising on an unsaturated avenue. “The discourse [about the female gender] has advanced a lot in the world, whether it’s in the society or in cinema. We’re lagging a little behind in India.”
Changing demographics
Ishita Moitra, screenwriter for the upcoming Noor , thinks it’s also because the dynamics of the work force in the industry has also changed. “Ten years ago, there were not many female writers [in the industry] and now 40 to 50% are women,” she says. “When I think of a story, my natural thought is that of a woman’s.” Traditionally the die may not have been loaded in the heroine’s favour but now finding good roles and meaty scripts is getting easier. It’s getting relatively easy to raise money for women’s films too.
Heroines themselves are backing unusual projects. Kapoor thinks it has something to do with a natural progression they aim for. “It gives them more recognition instead of just doing films with male stars,” he says citing the example of Kapoor who would do a Prem Ratan Dhan Payo with Salman Khan for increasing her reach, but a Neerja is what she does to get appreciation and respect. Even Sonakshi Sinha who has built her fan base with films such as Rowdy Rathore and Dabangg 2 is now doing Noor after last year’s Akir a .
Pillai is certain Bollywood has inspired the South to jump on to the bandwagon too. Take the recent Dora , a Tamil horror film with superstar Nayanthara in the lead. Magalir Mattum (which literally translates to Only Ladies) has an all woman cast. Then there’s the Malayalam film Take Off which is based on the ordeal of nurses in Iraq. “They’ve all been inspired by Pink ,” says Pillai.
The art of mathematics
So is it time to party? Not quite. The male skew is not easy to bring down. Of the 52 Fridays in a year, the big heroes continue their hold on the holiday weekends. The salaries of the female stars are well below the men. The money their films make is also miniscule in comparison and earned from multiplexes and metros. There hasn’t been a single woman-oriented film that has crossed Rs 100 crore net.
Then, in a business that thrives on the crucial first weekend collections, even the most successful woman-centric films have been slow burners, opening very low and gaining mostly by word of mouth. Queen — despite the lifetime earnings of Rs. 61.47 crore, could only make Rs 1.70 crore on its opening day (all figures are courtesy boxofficeindia.com). Neerja — backed by the mammoth, Fox Star Studios opened to a tepid Rs. 4.62 crore but still went on to earn Rs. 71.76 crore. Contrarily, A Flying Jatt opened at Rs 6.09 crore and made a paltry Rs. 30.76 crore. Kapoor’s effort may have paid off in the film’s lifetime, but Neerja couldn’t attract audiences initially despite a huge studio’s backing and Kapoor in the lead.
Granted Piku reached beyond the glass ceiling of Rs. 5 crore with a Rs. 5.27 crore opening, but the film also had male star power in the form of Amitabh Bachchan who worked the same lure in Pink . Mukherji, however, points out the flip side: “If the male star is bringing a bigger amount of moolah, the film is also being made at a higher budget.” Vohra doesn’t think the presence of a male star can guarantee a hit, although it can certainly aid the film’s ticket sales.
She does admit that one reason women-oriented films might not do well is the resistance to see what women really want in a public domain. “It has to be sugar coated,” she says. “Any film that tells you about the anger women are feeling causes discomfort. Queen is an anodyne film that doesn’t cause discomfort.” Kapoor reiterates Vohra’s sentiments. “It’s the same reason [such films] won’t work in the interiors; people don’t want to see their reality on the big screen.” According to him female-led films also work when you see a woman doing a man’s job, adding that it breaks the stereotype and connects with both genders.
The intricacies of the portrayals, financing and money-making models aside, what does matter immensely is that at least such films are being made. Das is hopeful: “They need the support of a big star to win over the box office now, but in a few days these stories will be able to walk on their own.” The bigger change will come incrementally than radically.
