Bollywood cinema is growing up when it comes to bringing stories with strong, complicated women. As we enjoy director Alankrita Shrivastava’s stirring women-centric drama ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare’ on Netflix, here’s a look at a few other Bollywood films that had interesting women playing central roles…
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Thappad: What’s in a slap, you ask? This searing relationship drama about a loved-up couple whose marriage disintegrates after a heated public fight — that ends with an agitated husband slapping his doting wife in anger — may have all the answers. Pannu is in top form as Amrita who takes charge of her life and is forced to reassess her relationship with her successful husband and loving mother-in-law. The film is gut-wrenchingly sensitive, personal and sad. Here’s an example of movie that’s all heart and dwells on a sensitive woman learning to have agency in her life.
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Queen: Kangana Ranaut stars as a feisty, young jilted bride who goes on a honeymoon to Europe on her own in this film about self discovery. The royalty in this film is clearly Ranaut who is adorable in her role as a woman in the throes of a quarter-life crisis and heartbreak. Actress Lisa Haydon is a hoot and the camaraderie that the two share as they become thick friends in Paris is one of the highlights.
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Parched: Set in a rural Indian village, this drama directed by Leena Yadav is a crash course about three women smashing patriarchy and monstrous men. Radhika Apte as Lajjo, trapped in a loveless marriage to a physically abusive husband, is superb in her role, while actress Surveen Chawla breathes life into her role of a raunchy carnival dancer. Tannishtha Chatterjee as a bitter woman is also an interesting element. The movie set in an arid desert in North Western India is lush with spectacular performances and a gripping narrative. The scene in which Chatterjee tells a man to be human is thoroughly satisfying.
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Pink: If you are in the mood to watch a film that explores tricky subjects like what constitutes consent, male entitlement and how society views single, independent women, then ‘Pink’ is right up your street. This courtroom drama, featuring Taapsee Pannu who survives an attempted rape, and Amitabh Bachchan as her ageing lawyer, has a gripping narrative. This film makes you uncomfortable and pushes you to ask the right questions about what it’s like to be a woman in India today.
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No One Killed Jessica: Fuelled by fantastic performances from Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan, this thriller chronicles the true story of model Jessica Lall — who was shot dead in a restaurant — and the campaign spearheaded by her sister to bring her sibling’s killer to justice. Mukherjee as a hard-nosed, unsentimental news anchor, who is desensitised to the incident at first, is spot on. Balan as the distraught sister who is determined to see her sister’s killer behind bars puts her best foot forward too.
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Kahaani: National Award-winning actress Vidya Balan spearheads this missing person mystery set in Kolkata. She plays a heavily pregnant wife Vidya Bagchi who lands in an unfamiliar city in search of her husband. The movie springs a few surprises along the way.
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Lipstick Under My Burkha: Directed by Alankrtia Shrivastava, this film dwells into the secret lives of four seemingly conservative women. The stirring film, which doesn’t succumb to pop-feminism, trains the spotlight on their complex lives, their deception and their desires without judgement. Actors including Konkona Sen Sharma, Aahana Kamra, Plabita Borthakur and Ratna Pathak Shah breathe life and verve into their colourful characters.
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The Dirty Picture: This film, which traced the life and times of a siren of South Indian cinema, made Vidya Balan a performer to reckon with. From the fabulous songs to her fierce act as an eccentric diva, Balan made this film — loosely inspired by the late sultry actress Silk Smith — her own with her vibrant act as a mercurial star. Her chemistry with actor Emraan Hashmi was also spot on.
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Fashion: Director Madhur Bhandark exposed the underbelly of the Indian modelling world filled with power-hungry players addicted to drugs, fame and consumed by eating disorders. Actress Priyanka Chopra played a small-time model hopeful who breaks into the big league but is forced to pay a high price for her notoriety. There was also Kangana Ranaut, who played a disturbed drug-addict supermodel with great conviction. This movie was filled with fierce women who were unapologetic about their life choices and unconventional career moves.
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Cocktail: The ending of this film was disturbing and regressive, but there’s no denying that Deepika Padukone as a party girl from London struggling to keep her man was thoroughly engaging and satisfying. Padukone as this reckless, rich girl who gets shortchanged in her relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan is an interesting portrait of modern day women and relationships. There’s also humour and sardonic wit aplenty in this film.
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