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Sinar Daily
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sinar Daily
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
Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
From law school to prison cells: Apurva's journey to help incarcerated women
1 2 3 Ranchi: Apurva Vivek is a lawyer by training with a degree from Christ University, Bangalore, and she also has a Master's degree in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Today, she spends most of her time behind the prison walls in Jharkhand, not as an inmate, but as someone working to support incarcerated women. The founder-director of Hashiya Socio-Legal Centre for Women, Apurva said her organisation works with women in custody, helping them with legal aid, education, mental health and skilling. Her journey began in Ranchi in 2013 when she was waiting for the results of the Master's examination. During that period, she approached the jailer of the Birsa Munda Central Jail and asked if she could offer basic literacy classes to women prisoners and their children. He agreed. What followed were simple, meaningful sessions like reading newspapers, having conversations, or just sitting quietly together. "That experience made me realise how vital it is to create spaces inside institutions of custody," she said. Later, as women began trusting her, they opened up about their legal struggles. Many were abandoned by lawyers and forgotten by their families. "It struck me how often we plan elaborate programmes for rehabilitation, but forget the most basic and urgent need to help them get out," Apurva said. In 2022, Apurva formally launched Hashiya. The work became more structured in 2023 when the Jharkhand prison department invited her to sign an MoU to work inside the Hotwar Central Jail. A grant from the Azim Premji Foundation followed, helping her build a small team. One of the first projects she started was a basic literacy programme for women prisoners. "Some women signed legal papers without understanding them because they couldn't read. If they were denied education outside, the least we can do is make it available inside," she said. Today, her organisation also supports mental health counselling and art therapy. A Sohrai painting artist now teaches the traditional art in daily classes, and two literate inmates help teach others, inside the jail. All of this is based on what the women ask for. "We don't impose the programmes on them. We listen," she highlighted. Currently, there are about 100 women and seven children in the women's ward of the Hotwar prison. "We try to be there for every one of them, not just legally, but emotionally. We play with them, eat with them, and laugh with them. And even after their release, we stay connected," Apurva said. One story that left a deep impact on her was that of a woman who wanted an abortion but waited six weeks just for legal clearance. That incident led Apurva to push for changes in the Jharkhand prison manual to ensure reproductive rights for women prisoners. Looking ahead, Apurva said she wanted to expand her work to other prisons in the state and work with the govt departments to build transitional support systems for women after their release from prison. "This work is not charity. These women have rights. We're simply here to help them access what was always theirs," she added. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Free Malaysia Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Women claim spotlight in India's macho movie industry
Bollywood film director and screenwriter Reema Kagti (centre) attends a masterclass by US screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris and Bollywood actor and filmmaker Boman Irani in Mumbai. (AFP pic) 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. 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'. 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% of Indian movies surveyed hired women for key production positions, up from 10% 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.'
India.com
21-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Meet man, once lived in a small town, built Rs 6000000000 company, which makes robots for…, he is…
Adverb Technologies was founded in 2016, the company which deals in robotics. It is co-founded by Satish Shukla, who grew up in the small town of Nagda in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of India's few companies that builds a variety of robots like humanoid robots, robotic dogs. It also gives other innovative robotic solutions. Rs 600 Crore Revenue Satish recently revealed that Adverb Technologies earned a revenue of around Rs 600 crore last year. He stated that they began by creating robots for warehouse automation. Then, the company started working on robotic dogs, and today, it is also focusing on humanoid robots, which are in process of completion. The demand for their robots is not only from India but they are also exported to countries like Singapore, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, the Middle East, the USA, and North America. Satish is a software engineer by qualification. He had also done an MBA in HR from TISS, Mumbai. He was selected through campus placement into Asian Paints. He was earlier working as an HR over there and then later moved to production and supply chain roles. Satish decided to establish Adverb Technologies when 'Make In India' gained momentum. Now he is planning to make it the world's largest robotics company.
Kuwait Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Women claim spotlight in India's macho movie industry
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. 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 favor 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. Indian director Payal Kapadia (2second right) 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. Bollywood film director and screenwriter Reema Kagti (center) attends a masterclass by American screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris and Bollywood actor and filmmaker Boman Irani in Mumbai on November 23, 2024. '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". 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 labor 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
