The surge we are now seeing in inspiring female-lead films (Queen, Neerja, Raazi, Veere Di Wedding et al.) was sadly not because of a moral awakening on the Hindi film industry’s part. Instead it was driven by Bollywood executives capitalizing on an internet trend – feminism – a much-maligned concept that surfaced recently in a new, more palatable form thanks to social media’s international clout and to a lesser extent by outspoken Western pop stars like Beyonce and Lily Allen who famously said “you are either a feminist or an asshole.”
Now that the general public has finally warmed up to feminism by realizing that it merely propagates equal rights for women and is not the equivalent to male bashing, Bollywood studios have decided to turn feminism into a commodity.
Prior to this, most Bollywood films were seen through “the male gaze” yet some filmmakers resisted and took a gamble by having a strong, female hero as their lead in a time when it wasn’t at all fashionable to do so. Their gamble paid off as the films proved to be both commercial and critical successes.
This is a list of four of the best of those films:
DISCLAIMER: Bollywood was and still is a male-dominated playground so most of these films were written and directed by male voices but they should nevertheless be acknowledged and celebrated.
4. Khoon Bhari Maang (1988)
Hero: Rekha
Filmmaker: Rakesh Roshan
Khoon Bhari Maang is your typical campy 80’s action flick (think Rambo, Agneepath, Mr. India) but the difference here is that, instead of seeing some muscle man kick some ass , you see Rekha kick some ass! The film (based on a naff Australian soap opera of all things) may not have aged well but Rekha’s performance is timeless.
3. Bandit Queen (1994)
Hero: Seema Biswas
Director: Shekhar Kapur
A cultural landmark of a film that was universally celebrated upon its release, Bandit Queen told the difficult story of Phoolan Devi, a heavily abused woman whose anguish transformed her into the feared leader of a vigilante group. The film was not just a deeply poignant, well-executed piece of cinema but it also ran in the face of how Indian women were being portrayed at the time – as chaste mannequins.
2. Mirch Masala (1987)
Hero: Smita Patil
Filmmaker: Ketan Mehta
Mirch Masala serves as a powerful cinematic affront to oppressive patriarchy and toxic masculinity: a single girl takes on the abusive men of her village all on her own. The film crescendos violently towards the end as the woman of the village decide to band together with their sister to break their shackles once and for all.
1. Arth
Hero: Shabana Azmi
Filmmaker: Mahesh Bhatt
Aside from Arth being a visually sumptuous film with career defining performances from indie film icons, Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi, Arth was also deeply ahead of its time for its harrowing portrayal of an emancipated sansakari Indian woman. Kangana Ranaut’s Queen presented a similar character trajectory, and was deservedly praised for it, but it did so over thirty years after the release of this stridently progressive film.
