Mumbai, India (CU)_ Bollywood films have historically centered on male actors, with female performers serving as sidekicks who stand by the hero’s side to add beauty. However, with time, the world of Hindi cinema also changed, and began making films that were more contemporary in nature. Many filmmakers are now making female-oriented movies that are garnering huge support from the audiences who believe in equality. People nowadays wish to see women fighting back against society’s evils; thus, the days of women being shown as fragile and sensitive are long gone. Here are some of Bollywood’s most popular female-oriented films, which were both commercial successes as well as a joy to see on screen.
Queen
Kangana Ranaut plays the lead character in the 2013 film Queen, which is a female-oriented comedy drama directed by Vikas Bahl. The film’s narrative focuses around Rani, the main heroine, who travels alone to France on her honeymoon after her fiancé refuses to marry her on their wedding day. The film beautifully conveys the hidden inner strength of women.
Pink
Pink is a 2016 courtroom thriller drama directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and features Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang in the lead roles and actor Amitabh Bachchan in the role of the lawyer. The story follows three females who battle with the assistance of an intelligent lawyer against affluent boys who try to attack them. The movie clearly depicts the status of women in the society and the need for courage to fight back.
Raazi
Raazi was directed by Meghna Gulzar and features Alia Bhatt in the lead role and Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, and Jaideep Ahlawat in supporting roles. The 2018 film is a spy thriller drama based on Harinder Sikka’s popular novel Calling Sehmat, which depicts the actual story of a RAW agent performed on-screen by Alia Bhatt. The story follows a RAW agent woman who marries a Pakistani military official to spy on him before the Indo-Pak war in 1971.
The Dirty Picture
The Dirty Picture is one of the mega box office hits in Bollywood. The 2011 biographical film was directed by Milan Lutharia and featured Vidya Balan in the lead role. The film is largely inspired by the actual story of the South Indian actress Silk Smitha, who is known for her beauty and glamorous acting. The film was lauded for portraying women as empowered in a traditionally male-dominated society.
English Vinglish
This famous movie was directed by Gauri Shinde. English Vinglish, a 2012 female-oriented family drama features late actress Sridevi in the lead role. The story follows a married woman who is constantly ignored by her husband and children until she chooses to come out of her circle and live her life as per her wish, where she learns to speak English to show her family what she is capable of.
