Women claim spotlight in India's macho movie industry
The films have often failed to portray women authentically, choosing instead to box them into being passive housewives or mothers who bow to societal pressure.
25 May 2025 07:01pm
(L-R) Indian actress Kani Kusruti, Indian actress Chhaya Kadam, Indian director Payal Kapadia and Indian actress Divya Prabha pose during a photocall after she won the Grand Prix for the film "All We Imagine as Light" during the Closing Ceremony at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 25, 2024. India's giant movie industry is known for its macho, male-centric storylines, but a wave of women filmmakers are helping break the mould. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)
MUMBAI - India's giant movie industry is known for its macho, men-centric storylines, but a wave of women filmmakers is helping to break the mould.
"More and more women are writing their stories, turning them into films," said writer-director Reema Kagti, who believes the trend brings a more "real and healthy perspective" to movies, with complex, outspoken women characters who are masters of their own story. Indian director Payal Kapadia (2nd R) arrives on stage after she was awarded with the Grand Prix for the film "All We Imagine as Light" next to US actress Viola Davis during the Closing Ceremony at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 25, 2024. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)
The world's most populous nation churns out 1,800 to 2,000 films in more than 20 languages annually -- and Hindi-language Bollywood is one of the largest segments, with more than 300 productions.
Yet the films have often failed to portray women authentically, choosing instead to box them into being passive housewives or mothers who bow to societal pressure.
A 2023 study by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) found that female characters in most chart-topping Indian films play the role of a romantic interest -- and are "fair skinned with a thin body type and a small screen time".
But industry insiders point to a slate of women-directed movies earning international acclaim that have also scored well at the tough domestic box office.
Malayalam-language film "All We Imagine as Light", a poetic tale about two nurses forging an intergenerational friendship, was the first Indian production to win the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Director Payal Kapadia shunned the one-dimensional portrayal of women on Indian screens which tends to mimic "unrealistic standards set by society", she said, in favour of one that allows women to "just be ourselves, authentic and true to how we are in everyday life".
India's official entry for the 2025 Oscars was Kiran Rao's "Lost Ladies" -- "Laapataa Ladies" in Hindi -- a comedy which challenges convictions surrounding marriage and womanhood, a sign of a shift -- even if it missed the final shortlist.
'More inclusive narratives'
It is not only arthouse films that are winning hearts.
Mainstream movies with strong women co-leads are filling up theatres as well.
"Stree 2", a horror comedy featuring Bollywood star Shraddha Kapoor, smashed box office records last year, beating earnings by superstar Shah Rukh Khan's action flick "Jawan". Bollywood film director and screenwriter Reema Kagti (C) attends a masterclass by American screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris and Bollywood actor and filmmaker Boman Irani in Mumbai on November 23, 2024. (Photo by Sujit JAISWAL/AFP)
And "Crew", a heist comedy about flight attendants, was widely seen as a win for women-centric movies.
"Women still face challenges in telling stories from their perspective", said actor-producer Dia Mirza.
"However, the increasing presence of female directors, producers and writers is paving the way for more inclusive narratives."
Movies can also tackle the way regressive traditions manifest in the daily lives of Indian families.
"Mrs.", a Hindi-language film released in February, dives into the unseen labour of a newlywed housewife, her silenced aspirations and the societal conditioning she struggles with.
"Across social media, you can see people posting -- that the majority of women in India go through this turmoil," said Lakshmi Lingam, a Mumbai-based sociologist.
She points out that there was no backlash to the film.
"The voices of women saying, 'Yes, this is true and I can see myself there' is very high," she said.
"So, there is that kind of ecosystem of women resonating with many of the ideas these women filmmakers are making."
'Still misogynistic'
Industry figures suggest progress is being made, albeit slowly.
Last year, 15 percent of Indian movies surveyed hired women for key production positions, up from 10 percent in 2022, according to a report by Ormax Media and Film Companion Studios.
Konkona Sen Sharma, an actor-director who is a champion of women-oriented cinema, is cautiously optimistic about the role women will play in the future.
Women are increasingly present in the film industry, but "we still don't have enough women in positions of power," she said.
Filmmaker Shonali Bose points out that women directors need the independence and financial backing to tell new stories.
"Our problem is not to do with gender, it is getting to make what we want to make," Bose said.
"When we want to make world cinema, we are facing market forces which are getting increasingly conservative."
Lingam, the sociologist, said that while moviegoers are being "exposed to the changing discourse", mainstream films are "still very male-orientated" and plotlines "still misogynistic".
"Some of the women scriptwriters have great ideas, but producers don't want to back those stories," she said.
"They intervene and make so many changes by converting the female protagonist into a male to make a 'larger-than-life character'. At the end of the day, the buck actually dictates what can be made and what cannot." - AFP
More Like This
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Spotify CEO: AI to spur more music creativity, not a threat
STOCKHOLM: Artificial intelligence will encourage more people to create music in the future and is not a threat to the industry, the founder and CEO of streaming giant Spotify said. Artists using machine-learning tools to produce music have given rise to concerns about whether AI-generated music – even entirely fake artists – could one day replace human artists. "I'm mostly optimistic and mostly very excited because we're just in the beginning of understanding this future of creativity that we're entering," Daniel Ek told reporters at an Open House at the company's Stockholm headquarters this week. Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter and a recent book, Mood Machine, have accused Spotify of tasking a handful of producers to make thousands of songs under fake AI profiles, which the company allegedly pushed onto playlists – saving Spotify money by elbowing out real artists and their higher royalties. Spotify has denied the claims. "We want real humans to make it as artists and creators, but what is creativity in the future with AI? I don't know. What is music?" Ek said. He recalled that electronic dance music and the DJ culture, and before that, hip hop where people sampled music, were initially not considered "real music". Noting that Mozart had to compose entire symphonies in his head, Ek said that "now, any one of us can probably create a beat in five or 10 minutes". "The tools that we now have in our availability are just staggering." "Of course there are very scary potential applications for AI, but the more interesting thing for me is that the amount of creativity that creative people will have available at their fingertips is going to be insane," he said. "The barriers for creation are becoming lower and lower. More and more people will create," he said. Ek said he saw the development of AI in the music industry "much more as an evolution than a revolution". Spotify had 678 million active users at the end of March, including 268 million paying subscribers. Ek said the company, which turned its first annual profit in 2024, now had 100 million paying subscribers in Europe alone, and hoped to one day see a billion paying users worldwide. "I don't think there's any doubt in my mind that the potential for Spotify at some point is to eventually get to over a billion paying subscribers." – AFP
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Rocking 'King Lear' to draw young audience in Iran
An Iranian director is breathing new life into William Shakespeare's King Lear with a bold staging in Tehran infused with rock music and a dazzling light show to attract younger audiences. In Iran, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and playwrights must walk a tightrope to avoid censorship of content the authorities deem inappropriate. But despite political tensions between Tehran and the West, many international works still make it to the Iranian stage. Now well-known actress Elika Abdolrazzaghi has taken on the challenge of reimagining King Lear or a contemporary audience. "If I had staged the original version, it would have been too heavy for people - they would have been bored," said the 45-year-old. Iranian actress-director Elika Abdolrazzaghi poses at Tehran's Shahr Theatre where she is presenting a bold staging of Shakespeare's 'King Lear'. Photo: AFP To inject energy into the performance, Abdolrazzaghi has incorporated music from British rock band Muse and German industrial metal group Rammstein. Vivid costumes and sparkling lights lend the production a festive atmosphere, despite the play's dark core. First published in the early 17th century, King Lear tells the story of a crumbling monarchy and a family torn apart by betrayal, power struggles and hunger for the throne. An ageing and weary Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, based on how well they flatter him in public. 'No restrictions' Naive and prideful, Lear disowns Cordelia, his youngest daughter, who refuses to join the charade. "I transformed many word-heavy sections of the play into movement, imagery, music and dance," Abdolrazzaghi said. The actors wear richly detailed costumes in bold reds, greens and yellows, inspired by classic fashions from the 17th century. A young audience waits for 'King Lear' at Tehran's Shahr Theatre. Photo: AFP Reza Yazdani, a household name in Iran's rock scene, performs the Persian-language songs live on stage. The production has struck a chord with theatregoers. "We didn't think we could sit through a two-hour play," said Amin, a 32-year-old engineer. "But it was really good - from the actors' performances to the music and set design," he said after going to the play with his wife, Elham. With a company of around 100 people, including several dozen actors, Abdolrazzaghi and her team spent several months preparing the show. "In Iran there are many women directing theatre, but few are well known," she said. Abdolrazzaghi, who has performed in works by Bertolt Brecht, Friedrich Durrenmatt from Switzerland and France's Yasmina Reza, says the Iranian authorities impose "no restrictions" on staging foreign plays. 'A more just world' "Theatre is essentially a Western phenomenon and remains a young art form in Iran," said Abdolrazzaghi. Ahmad Saatchian, the lead actor and a stage veteran with two decades of experience, calls Lear "the greatest role" of his career. The bold staging of 'King Lear' blends rock music and a dazzling light show to draw younger audiences - while navigating censorship laws in Iran. Photo: AFP "Portraying one of the most important characters in literary history is a rare opportunity for an actor," he said. Tragedies such as King Lear are "universal and resonate with people around the world - that's why Shakespeare remains timeless," he added. In recent years, many of Shakespeare's works have been performed in Iran. "Countries that have experienced similar political dynamics - like Iran or those in Eastern Europe - tend to connect deeply with Shakespeare's work," said Saatchian. In the final act, Lear, broken by betrayal, regains clarity before his death. "In one scene, Lear calls on those in power to expose themselves to the suffering of the poor in order to build a more just world," Saatchian said. "That's a message that resonates everywhere." - AFP
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
‘Anak' singer Freddie Aguilar dies aged 72
Filipino singer-songwriter Freddie Aguilar, best known for his chart-topping international hit Anak, died in Manila aged 72, local media reported. He had been receiving treatment at the Philippine Heart Center, according to social media posts by his wife, Jovie Albao-Aguilar. Aguilar was one of the leaders of the locally based Original Pilipino Music movement of the 1970s, and was known for his political activism, often tackling social issues through song. In the 1980s, he lent his voice to the People Power Movement that overthrew then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, with his rendition of the traditional patriotic ballad Bayan Ko (My Country) serving as an anthem. In a special 2018 resolution, the Philippine Senate lauded him for 'lifetime outstanding contributions to Philippine arts and culture.' Anak, a Tagalog-language song about the struggles of raising a problematic child, sold more than 30 million copies. — AFP
