International Women's Day 2023: Inspiring Bollywood movies featuring Alia Bhatt, Sushmita Sen, Deepika Padukone

After years of stereotyping, Bollywood is finally writing roles for women with the same elan it would for its leading male stars. Despite the popular perception that women in Bollywood play stereotyped glamourous roles, on International Women's day we take a look at a films with women in the lead that show us what it takes to be bold and unconventional.

It wouldn’t be amiss to call 2022 the ‘Year of Alia Bhatt’, with the actress opening the year with critically acclaimed ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, followed by her wedding to Ranbir Kapoor in April and a surprise pregnancy announcement in June.

'Gangubai Kathiawadi': Alia Bhatt has garnered massive praise for her portrayal as the real-life Gangubai Kathiawadi, a girl from a red-light district who has to endure tough circumstances. She eventually rises to prominence and becomes a ‘mafia queen’, leading people and fighting for the downtrodden. Expect a stellar performance from the young Bollywood actress.

‘Darlings’: A dark comedy that explores the lives of a mother-daughter (Shefali Shah and Alia Bhatt) duo trying to find their place in Mumbai, seeking courage and love in exceptional circumstances while fighting against all odds and Bhatt's abusive husband.

‘Thappad’: Taapasee Pannu plays the role of Amrita Sabharwal in ‘Thappad’. In the film, Sabharwal is slapped by her husband during a party in front of everyone. And the smack to her self-respect helps her come to grips with what she will and won’t tolerate in a relationship. Even as the people around her dismiss the incident as a one-off, Sabharwal decides to seek a divorce.

‘English Vinglish': Shashi Godbole, played to perfection by the late Sridevi in ‘English Vinglish’, was actually inspired by director Gauri Shinde’s mother. While the protagonist starts off as the butt of jokes because of her inability to communicate in English, she takes matters into her own hands. She learns English without letting anyone know and by the end of the move you are rooting for his cheerful, self-confident woman Godbole has become.

'Shakuntla Devi': This biopic stars Vidya Balan as the gifted, yet unhinged Indian mathematician. The film depicts how Devi travels the world and how she eventually becomes known as the human-computer. Vidya has nailed the portrayal of the mathematician in the film, which released on Amazon Prime, and received great reviews from viewers and critics alike.

'Pink': The movie which stars Taapsee Pannu makes everyone understand consent and a "no" means exactly that. In this woman-centric film, Pannu plays the character Minal, who was molested and tries to file an FIR against a politician's nephew. When the subsequent case gets rigged, Deepak, a retired lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan), helps them to fight the case.

In the thriller, ‘Kahaani’: Vidya Balan plays the role of a pregnant non-resident Indian woman in search of her missing husband. Throughout the movie, Balan’s Vidya Bagchi takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride and it’s only at the end that you realise the strong woman she actually is. Balan’s role in Kahaani is nothing short of legendary.

And now, time for the ‘Queen’: While Kangana Ranaut is making headlines today because of her take on controversial subjects, the world was introduced to her with a simple, searing portrayal of a bride ditched before her wedding. In the film, Ranaut is Rani, a middle-class woman with little English-speaking skill who heads to Europe on what was supposed to be her honeymoon – alone. And in doing so, she sheds any pretense of helplessness; she discovers an inner strength that can’t be diminished.

‘Manthan’: Even back in 1976, the late Smita Patil was all for women empowerment. Just have a look at her iconic portrayal of Bindu in ‘Manthan’ – she plays a woman who takes it upon herself to lead her fellow village women to create a local milk cooperative. The movie is inspired by real-life events.

Piku (played by Deepika Padukone) was the representation of every millennial working woman. Her unconditional love for her father coincided with her annoyance at his eccentricities. She was confident of her professional and personal choices and still struggling under the societal pressure of marriage, like so many of us. Simply put, she was a woman we all saw ourselves in.

‘Sky is Pink’: The character Aditi Chaudhary, played by Priyanka Chopra in ‘Sky is Pink’, wears many hats, from lover to a doting mother, balancing both home and finances as she struggles to keep it all together -- something that a regular woman goes through. In 'Sky Is Pink', she stands as the backbone of the family emulating the everyday struggles of a woman.

'Mardaani': For anyone who thinks women should be demure and coy, meet Shivani Shivaji Roy, perfect mix of strength and respect. Rani Mukherjee’s portrayal of a fierce cop in 'Mardaani' perfectly showcases the true strength of a woman. The character is based on a real-life cop who solved several child trafficking cases.

'NH10': Anushka’s first production venture, NH10, portrays her as an urban, badass working woman, whose life changes in a single day, was both chilling as well as a wake-up call for our patriarchal society.

The critically acclaimed film ‘Astitva’: The film starred Tabu in the lead role is based on the story of a woman, who after being deprived of love from her husband, seeks love from another man. The film is a strong attempt to liberate a woman from male chauvinism.