Top 5 Feminist movie characters in Indian Cinema
A beneficial change in Indian cinema has occurred over the years; a movie is more like an
expression of the world we live in, the people we meet and experiences that unite us. Indian
cinema has become more socially conscious, becoming more approachable (thank goodness),
and addressing a slew of subjects that were previously taboo due to conventional cultural
traditions. Feminism is at the top list of themes that the Indian public has yet to embrace with
open arms; yet, our Bollywood filmmakers have taken initiatives in the right direction to bring
about this transformation.
Here’s a Bollywood review on the list of Top 5 feminist movie characters in Indian Cinema that
Bollywood has made us proud of:
Hema Malini, Basanti, Sholay
One of the biggest blockbusters of Bollywood, which had a male-driven plotline of heroes,
dacoits, murderers, also had a Taangewali. Way ahead of her time when women wouldn’t even
dare to go out of their home after sunset, Basanti rode her horse cart(Dhanno) to earn her daily
livelihood. She was not just a pretty face & side prop for the hero. In case no one noticed shewas the only Tangewali (public commute in older times) in that entire route of Ramgarh to
Belapur (a lady taange-wali in the 1975 era showcases some serious feminism guys). Fearless
and sedulous, breaking the stereotypes, not only did she single-handedly managed her tanga
but she never hesitated save the love of her life.
You don’t mess with Basanti!
Madhuri Dixit, Jaanki, Lajja
Jaanki, a hopeless romantic and a stage theatre actor lives in her own dream world. She is yet
another example of a woman who has endured a great deal of suffering growing up in a male-dominated society. She is in love with her colleague in the drama troupe who promises to marry
her and is pregnant with his child.
Although her theatre director, Purushottam lusts after her, she pays no heed to him and dreams of marrying her love. However, some dreams are meant to be shattered to make the world a better place. Amidst all the turmoil in her life, one thing she carries with her with
grace apart from her beautiful sarees is her strength, effervescence & tenacity, all of which are
commendable.
Arjun Kapoor, Kabir, Ki & Ka
His movie character Kabir redefined gender norms (a critical issue in 'Hindustani Sabhyata'). He
takes care of the house while his wife works, something we rarely see in Indian movies. He pursues his passion for cooking, which may seem unusual to some men and their
mothers. It isn't the usual “damsel in distress rescued by
her knight in shining armor “ with a tinge of Bollywood tadka kind of a movie, in fact, it is exactly
the opposite, making it a must watch. In one of its scenes where Jaya Bachan & Amitabh
Bachan play themselves, lady B is seen asking her dear hubby if he would have been happy
staying back home after their marriage while she continued to work, to which he very awkwardly
agrees, his body language indicating otherwise. This particular sequence very comically
highlights the core theme of the movie.
Aamir Khan, Mahaveer Singh Phogat, Dangal
Do we need to say more? Based on the true-life story of the Phogat sisters, this father goes
against all odds to win a game, despite his initial judgement and predicament about women. He chops off their beautiful tresses into short spikes which is not taken well by the Phogat sisters initially. It is only later that they realize the quantum of dedication & perseverance of
their father to give them an identity of their own in a culture that rarely pushes women up and mostly pulls them down. Women wrestling with men and beating them
in their own game is something that was unusual for the Indian audience. Despite the many challenges & societal pressures, Mahaveer Phogat did not give up.
With the firm belief that his daughters are no less than sons. The field of Indian wrestling was not as welcoming to women as it is now, thanks to this man & his mighty daughters. If he can overlook gender bias, it's about time we do it too!
“Just one slap but he can’t do it" is such a casual statement yet such an eye-opener.
Amrita files for a divorce due to the fact that her husband slapped her as an act of aggression, which at first was odd for many including her own mother & brother. As the movie proceeds, we see how women are advised to endure, make peace with all the atrocities inflicted on them in the name of love, honor and family. Amrita refuses to do so, she takes a stand for herself and many such women who go through similar situations but can never gather the courage to accuse their own husband. Why? Because “Log kya kahenge?”
Women are not punching bags for their male family members or for male discontent. Anubhav Sinha did a good job making this one. Kudos to Taapsee's character Amrita for taking her stand & congratulations to Indian Cinema an Indian filmmakers for creating such masterpieces.
These 5 characters have done a good job addressing issues on gender-parity, while there are several aspects of these films that were quite contrary to the entire theme. Let's discuss
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