With intense scenes, horrifying crimes and fierce fights, the female protagonist in this film was not a damsel in distress. Whether you agree or not, it’s true that a lot of men get attracted to strong-willed women. Shruti is one such character who knows what she wants and works hard to be a successful entrepreneur. Women-Centric Bollywood Movies To Watch Out For In The Year 2020, Male Characters From Bollywood Films That We Loved In 2019, subscribe to Our Power Breakfast Newsletter, Festival Of Jivitputrika has Patriarchal Roots but Women are Changing the Narrative, Mere Dad Ki Dulhan, A Daily Soap That Cherishes Feminist Fathers, Books, Chess, And Faux Pas: A How-NOT-To Guide By Bollywood, Five Feminist Bollywood Films That Will Put A Smile On Your Face. Hardly any films in Bollywood question the long prescribed definition of beauty – fair, pretty and made up! In the process, the entrepreneur makes a name for her culinary skills by feeding people the yummy Laddoos she makes. “She didn’t like children and was vocal about it.” How is not wanting to have children a feminist attribute. Digitalist Tech Media © 2020 All Rights Reserved. You just have to believe in yourself and break out of whatever's holding you back. From leaders, game changers, board members, executives, sportspersons and more, we engage with women who enrich the world with new ideas, innovations, inspiration and engagement. This is enough reason for any man to fall in love with a girl like Laila. Five Bollywood Characters Who Would Make for Feminist Boyfriends. Therefore, the character of Laxmikant (Akshay Kumar) is an attempt to start this conversation. You get to choose whether you want to or not. Geeta was a hero to the oppressed, while breaking the formula of man-rescues-woman. Will Bollywood change the narrative with female-centric films, female led films but also by giving men a new avatar and perception? But in contrast to its everlasting influence, the Indian film industry houses innumerable instances of male chauvinism. Sunny Gill, Dil Dhadakne Do Sunny Gill (Farhan Akhtar) is a straight forward journalist whose charm swoons the protagonist Ayesha (Priyanka Chopra) for beyond his good looks. Tumhare papa ki izzat, izzat hain aur mere baba ki koi izzat hi nahin? Journeys Of These Women Athletes Can Inspire Any B’wood Blockbuster, Used to listen to Korean Band BTS says Jharkhand JEE Mains Topper Anushka, Gurugram: Man booked for raping woman and her daughter after giving sedatives, Tejaswini Sawant: Get To Know This Stellar Sportswoman On Her 40th Birthday, Viral Video: Journalists jostle to get Kangana on Flight, Ignore Distancing & COVID, Babita Phogat Extends Support To Kangana Ranaut, Asks ‘Why Is Award Wapsi Gang Of Bollywood Silent?’. Pretty looking and ambitious, is what men wish, no? Geeta (Hema Malini) in Seeta aur Geeta (1972) and Manju (Sridevi) in Chaalbaaz (1989). We met Aishwarya Rai’s Mansi in the traditional introduction of this very girl – through the hero’s eyes as he spied on her dancing in the rain and undressing. Shashi navigates a foreign land, makes new friends, learns to speak English, finds a new identity and wins respect for herself without compromising on her duties as a mother, wife and sister. Can on-screen feminism go beyond the samajh-sudharak, the abla naari turned Kali maa and the speech spouting devi? These are some characters that changed roles and looked at the things through a gendered lens. Thank you for commenting. feminism bollywood feminist women item number item song india Hollywood feminist bollywood shahrukh khan kangana ranaut fanfic children Horror marriage Television violence rape history Film Friday. Rani Mukerji, with her exemplary acting prowess, left many speechless as Shivani Shivaji Roy. With its inclination towards misogyny, the industry never fails to epitomise fairy-tale romance. Men love women who are passionate. She is not a perfect character." I am not saying that feminist shouldn’t dress up or feel fancy but completely transforming your body through artificial means shows their insecurity. Sholay also had a taangewali. 6 Bollywood Characters You Didn’t Know Were Feminist, If Friday begins with the box office clanging in anticipation, Saturday full of tweet-opinions, by Sunday, the analyses have begun on a film’s politics – whether it’s a spy in Karachi or wedding shenanigans in Delhi. Bailed out by a rich papa, love and familial friendships developed. One of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters had the testosterone-ridden plotline of prisoners, gunmen, mutilated cops and murder. Kareena Kapoor’s Geet in ‘Jab We Met’ tided over sanctioned harassment (“Akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hain”), the family patriarch and even geography in her quest for Mr. However, in the recent past, we did see a few woke male characters emerge contrary to the Bollywood-created ideals. Did you notice any other instances of feminists in Bollywood that we missed? Can The Media Stop Centering Queer Women’s Stories Only Around Tragedy? You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. That’s feminism sitting right under our noses, just next to the Calendar, khaana lao jokes. Sulu, Tumhari Sulu. Founded by award winning journalist Shaili Chopra, SheThePeople.TV is the voice Indian women today need. . Subscribe to iDiva & get never miss out on the latest trends! #womenup #womenempowerment #badasswomen #indianwomen #womenup #womenempowerment #bollywoodnews #bollywoodmemes #SheThePeople, A post shared by SheThePeople (@shethepeopletv) on May 18, 2020 at 5:14am PDT. Get the best of SheThePeople delivered to your inbox -. And the women who are not meek on the screen are always playing a negative role. We laughed at her talkativeness and marveled at her beauty, but did you notice that Basanti single-handedly managed the only public transport through the dacoit-infested roads to Ramgadh and Belapur? We laughed at her talkativeness and marveled at her beauty, but did you notice that Basanti single-handedly managed the only public transport through the dacoit-infested roads to Ramgadh and Belapur? Podcast: I’m Sexting My partner, But Is The Cyber World Safe? To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. A bubbly girl who enjoys life as it comes. And she ruled the screen in a children’s movie. These films made an impact, questioned the status quo and raised questions most films worry to explore. SheThePeople.TV is India's biggest digital storytelling for women, dedicated to passionately championing and promoting their journeys. every passing year. The Tangewali Rides First – The Independent Feminist. … He instils in them the courage to go beyond the four walls. One of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters had the testosterone-ridden plotline of prisoners, gunmen, mutilated cops and murder. They were duped by smooth charmers who redeemed themselves before God or a moralizing hero. Despite being older to her live-in partner, Sid, she was not particularly insecure about life or her dreams. Shivani is the super cop, she puts commitment towards her profession above anything else in her life. Ramya Pandyan, also known as IdeaSmith, is a writer, blogger and performance artist. Waiting for your next article. She believes in having her own space. She writes her own destiny and also rocks at whatever she does! Instead of acting like a love-lost Romeo who continuously tries to win the heart of the woman he desired, he supports Sweety in the biggest quest of her life. While her identity as a biracial woman candidate sets a historical precedent, it cannot be used as an excuse to gloss over her problematic political agenda. Geeta was a hero to the oppressed, while breaking the formula of man-rescues-woman. Some heroes use their fists, some wield the reins of a horse. And she ruled the screen in a children’s movie. With characters that boast of independence, self-love, patriotism, and grit, Bollywood has given us some major roles that empower many. Any woman who takes a stance against this, in face of opposition is taking control of her body, her life and her choices. Naina Talwar (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) Deepika as Naina taught us that you don't have to change yourself to have the world look at you differently. They need a platform that relates to them. Whatever my life brings, will be because I chose it.) ‘Paatal Lok’ & ‘Kai Po Che’ Actor Asif Basra Dies By Alleged Suicide; Found In Himachal, 15 Mind-Numbingly Stupid Things Bollywood Celebrities Have Said During Interviews, Bebo Fans, Match The Kareena Kapoor Dialogue To The Bollywood Movie, 13 Horror & Thriller Films From The 2000s That Prove Bipasha Was Indeed The Scream Queen. And we know that men are loving these kind of women!rnFrom Ananya Swaminathan to Rani Mehra, here are eight Bollywood strong-willed female characters that any man would love to date. Manasi’s family of folk singers was humiliated by the hero’s industrialist family, adding class prejudices to their ladkewale supremacy complex. Updated On May 19, 2020 by Simran Dhawan Will Bollywood change the narrative with female-centric films, female led films but also by giving men a new avatar and perception? The 1989 update, Chaalbaaz, had Sridevi depict an even more unapologetic Manju climbing her way to ‘Superstar Manju Micheal Jacksoni’ while taking on thugs, abusive relatives, a gaslighting buddy and a besotted rich boy in her stride. His character talks of advocating female empowerment and that’s what sets him apart. He runs an NGO for the acid attack survivors, and he helps in empowering women victims. She didn’t like children and was vocal about it. Film Review: ‘Laxmii’ Is Nightmarish, Triggering And Basically Unwatchable! How Internet Beauty Gurus Sell The Myth of Perfection Online, Review: In My Skin Is A Dark Comedy Drama Series About A Teen’s Travails, Review: Beanpole – A Powerful WWII Russian Feminist Drama On Women’s Lives, 6 Bollywood Characters You Didn’t Know Were Feminist | FeminismInIndia | XX Factor, LSR Student Death: It Is Institutional Murder, Not Suicide, Kamala Harris Isn’t The South Asian Feminist Role Model We Want. All of them are extremely altruistic, and that is all there is to their personality. Indian Muslim Women Leadership: A Mirage? HuffPost is part of Verizon Media. Ramya tweets, blogs, Instagrams and Youtubes as @ideasmithy. Redefining gender roles, Kabir (Arjun Kapoor) in Ki and Ka would make every girl’s heart swell. Gauri Shinde’s heart-touching story shows Shashi breaking many stereotypes without compromising on her values. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. feminist bollywood characters. A woman who chooses not to have children is subjected to moral policing and shaming, all of come from treating female bodies as nothing more than baby-making mechanisms. Hema Malini as Basanti in Sholay (1975) Hema Malini as Basanti in Sholay (1975) One of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters had the testosterone-ridden plotline of prisoners, gunmen, mutilated cops and … Taal was a story of one woman transcending gender repression as well as class barriers, proving Manasi was Bollywood’s intersectional feminist. We Empower, Engage and Elevate, connecting them to an amazing network that inspires and grows each others' efforts. Keep shining! Is it time to start calling it Vulva? Congratulations Ramya, this is a well researched,penned and adorned article. Not only has Bollywood been an eternal source of entertainment, but it has also touched upon some issues that were earlier a stigma in society. Movie Reviews; Item Numbers; Bollywood Adjacent; Personal Essay; Misc; Feminist Bollywood. 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