Women Centric Movies in Bollywood: Growing Trend and Popularity

The heroine was always secondary to the hero. Her role was charted out in context of any male character who is central to the script. The ‘man ’as the saviour and the ‘woman ’as the victim were also prominently seen in Bollywood. The woman of substance was missing from such portrayals. In the last few years many film makers have reacted against the stereotypes set by mainstream cinema and have dared to explore the subject from the women's perspective. Films like Mardaani (2014), Jazba (2015), NH10 (2015) etc portrayed women as main protagonist central to the story line. These films have shifted camera's focus from the women's body to her strong identity as an individual. Indian Cinema has succeeded in portraying numerous women characters that are powerful enough to inspire a generation. This paper deals with the content and popularity of women centric Bollywood movies. It throws light on the representation of women in Bollywood as independent, empowered and in a lead role without any male protagonist. The paper reviews women centric Bollywood movies made from 2012 to 2016 to analyze and evaluate the growing trend of this theme in these five years. The study undertakes some glimpses from popular women centric Bollywood movies and the portrayal of women depicting confidence and self respect in them. It also shows the inclination of new era film makers in portraying women as main protagonist facing and dealing with challenges in male dominated patriarchal society and acceptance of such themes by audience.