Compared to the ’90s and early 2000s, Bollywood has shown a serious decline when it comes to the storylines of female characters in its movies.
One older, iconic film, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, featured two of the main characters, Anjali (Kajol Devgan) and Pooja “Poo” (Kareena Kapoor Khan), who were bold, expressive individuals.
Other female characters who showed individual autonomy in earlier Bollywood films included Geet (Kareena Kapoor Khan) from Jab We Met; Meena (Deepika Padukone) from Chennai Express; and Tara (Shraddha Kapoor) from Ok Jaanu. These characters are iconic representations of the independent South Asian women of this generation.
However, the movies of the past few years have not lived up to their potential and rely on the male lead’s story in the film’s plot.
A popular movie showcasing this is Kabir Singh, which follows the recent “angry young man” era. Singh (Shahid Kapoor) is an alcoholic surgeon who drives himself insane, especially when the “love of his life” is married off to another man.
Despite the huge focus on his character and the near glorification of the “ambitious-yet-troubled young man” plot, a huge part of his story involves Preeti (Kiara Advani), his ex-girlfriend. Still, she does not get the attention she deserves in the movie, and she acts as if she is an accessory to Singh’s character.
Another movie that brings controversy and questions about the industry centering on men is Animal, which again is another film about a troubled, ambitious young man. In the beginning of the movie, the main character Ranjivay “Vijay” Singh (Ranbir Kapoor) tells Gitanjali (Rashmika Mandanna) that she has a “big pelvis,” which is “good for child-bearing.”
These demeaning attitudes from male characters highlight how Bollywood has declined in its plots and portrayal of strong and independent heroines.
Indian actress Alia Bhatt is a huge movie star with many hits in the industry. She has had renowned and empowering roles that have broken gender norms and stereotypes for women.
Recently, Bhatt questioned the concentration of male stories in Indian films during an interview with Hollywood Reporter India. Compared to the global box office, Bhatt has noticed that the majority of the Indian box office comes from the men in the audience.
“When we talk about box office numbers, there’s a conversation that comes up pretty often, which is ‘Oh, we have 75% of the movie audience being male, so we need to cater to the mass,’ ” Bhatt said. “But then I only wonder if we’re catering just to the men.”
Rather than antagonizing and dividing the audiences by gender, the Bollywood film industry would be much more successful if it brought back real heroines with their own personalities. Not only would this make the movies more interesting, but it also would keep the dignity of the women of their communities by representing them with respect.
