International Women’s Day: Female-fronted Bollywood films to look forward to in 2021

There’s no denying that the women in Bollywood have taken immense strides when it comes to experimenting with films and taking on empowering roles. Movies that amplify their voices are the top priority for many talents including Deepika Padukone and Taapsee Pannu. As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, here is a look at some fierce female-fronted films set to release in the coming months:

Taapsee Pannu in ‘Looop Lapeta’: This highly anticipated Hindi film is a remake of the hit German romantic comedy ‘Run Lola Run’. Directed by Aakash Bhatia, the movie also features the incredibly talented Tahir Raj Bhasin. Producer Tanuj Garg claims it’s going to be a crazy ride. “And IT’S A WRAP! 42 rigorous #shooting days and months and months of intensive prep. As the phrase goes, I’ve been eating, sleeping, walking, talking, and breathing this #movie for over a year now. I promise you that #loooplapeta will be the craziest ride of the year,” said Garg on his social media handles.

Kangana Ranaut in ‘Dhakaad’ and ‘Thalaivi’: You may find her provocative social media posts annoying, but there’s no denying that Ranaut is always at the forefront of female-fronted films. In the coming months, she will release her fierce spy thriller ‘Dhakaad’. In the posters, Ranaut is guns blazing in the first action-filled role of her career. It’s scheduled for release on October 1. On April 23, she will also release her biopic on political leader J Jayalalithaa.

Alia Bhatt in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’: Eyebrows were raised when celebrated director Sanjay Leela Bhansali chose the young and cherubic-looking Alia Bhatt for the title role of ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’. The movie is about a brothel boss in Mumbai’s Kamathipura who becomes a fierce politician. It’s based on Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens Of Mumbai’. This movie is scheduled for release on July 20.

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja in ‘Blind’: In ‘Blind’, Kapoor Ahuja will play a blind police officer on the hunt for a serial killer. This action-thriller is directed by Shome Makhija and they began shooting for it in Glasgow, Scotland, last year and wrapped the filming in 39 days straight. It’s a remake of a Korean film by the same name and also features an array of talented actors including Vinay Pathak, Purab Kohli, and Lilette Dubey. The movie’s release date is expected sometime this year.

Parineeti Chopra in ‘Saina’: It’s a biopic on the celebrated Indian woman badminton player Saina Nehwal and will chronicle this Olympic medallist’s inspirational journey. The teaser showed Chopra talking about smashing the patriarchy in India and breaking the glass ceiling. This film will release in India on March 26.

Deepika Padukone in Shakun Batra’s new untitled film: Produced by Karan Johar, very little is known about this film but reports claim that Padukone has a strong role to play in this domestic noir feature, directed by Shakun Batra of ‘Kapoor & Sons’ glory. The movie also stars actor Siddhant Chaturvedi of ‘Gully Boy’ fame and Johar’s discovery Ananya Panday. It was scheduled to release last month but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Janhvi Kapoor in ‘Helen’ remake: In this survival drama, Kapoor will play a young woman trapped in a freezer at her workplace and will chronicle her struggle to stay alive. It’s based on the Malayalam hit and is produced by Boney Kapoor, who has purchased the South India blockbuster’s rights, and Zee Studios. The release date is yet to be revealed.