National Day Of Girl Child: 5 Must-watch Bollywood Movies To Understand The True Essence Of Feminism

Feminism is so far one of the grossly misunderstood concepts. Not just by men, many times by women too. Well, in simple terms, feminism is a series of ideologies, political and social movements with a simple goal, which is to create and achieve equality of sexes, from personal to social and from economical to political. But as said, it is misunderstood and almost every opinion on it is targeted. Since we are made to believe movies are in some way or the other a reflection of the society we live in. And most of the events and scenes in movies seek inspiration from likes and dislikes of the society and social and cultural practices. We thought of digging in some good Bollywood movies. And no! We are not talking about the romantic or seductive numbers that come from nowhere. If we try to forget, at least for some time, those masala big banner/hero movies, there are a couple of movies that perfectly captures the reflection of the society we live in.

On the occasion of National Day of Girl Child, we have compiled a list of movies that feature strong women characters and portrays feminism in the right way.

* Arth – Shabana Azmi (1982)

Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the movie features Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil in lead roles. Shabana Azmi’s performance in the movie has earned her a national award. The story revolves around the life of a director who has an extra-marital affair with an actress and deserts his wife. The wife then embarks on a journey to make her own identity.

* Astitva – Tabu (2000)

The movie explores issues like marital abuse, extra-marital affairs, and male chauvinism. ‘Astitva’ is written and directed by Mahesh Manjrekar and features Tabu, Namrata Shirodkar and Sachin Khedekar in lead roles. The movie portrays the story of Pooja (Tabu) who suddenly discovers that she is the sole heir to the estate of her music teacher.

* Zubeidaa – Karisma Kapoor (2001)

Set in the 1950s, the movie is based on the life of the actress Zubeida Begum and the mother of the film’s writer. Zubeidaa (essayed by Karisma Kapoor) is an aspiring actress who marries a prince and becomes his second wife. The movie showcases her struggles, both on the personal and professional front, and her relationship with her husband.

* Dor – Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag (2006)

Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, ‘Dor’ features Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade in lead roles. The story is about two women who belong to different backgrounds and how life happens to bring them together. Meera (essayed by Ayesha Takia) is a young Hindu woman who becomes a widow shortly after her marriage. While Zeenat (essayed by Gul Panag) is a liberal and educated Muslim woman who is on a journey to save her husband’s life who is facing trial for murder. The movie shows how both the women end up supporting and learning from each other.

* Chak De! India (2007)

This film explores a range of topics including feminism, sexism, racial and religious bigotry, and ethnic and regional prejudice. Directed by Shimit Amin, the fictional sports film revolves around the lives of the Indian women’s national field hockey team. The movie had a team of ambitious girls who work harder to chase their dreams.

* English Vinglish – Sridevi (2012)

The movie features the story of a housewife and caterer Shashi, essayed by Sri Devi, who is made fun of by her own family for not knowing English. On her visit to New York for her niece’s wedding, she makes an attempt to learn the language. In the process, she rediscovers herself and reasserts her value as a mother and as a wife.

* Queen – Kangana Ranaut (2013)

Do we really need to explain how beautifully Kangana Ranaut has portrayed the character of the protagonist ‘Rani’? Directed by Vikas Bahl, the movie showcases the transformation of a homely girl into a strong and independent woman. 24-year-old Rani decides to go on her honeymoon alone after her fiancée calls off their wedding and that is the turning point in her life.

* Piku – Deepika Padukone (2015)

Directed by Shoojit Sircar, ‘Piku’ is a story of a selfless daughter and independent woman who juggles her personal and professional life. Most of the time is spent listening to her father’s tales on constipation, or marital pursuits. Deepika Padukone in lead role beautifully depicts the reality of many working women.

* Nil Battey Sannata – Swara Bhaskar (2015)

Directed by Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, the film is about a house-help Chanda Sahay (essayed by Swara Bhaskar) and her daughter Apeksha (essayed by Ria Shukla). Apeksha is a grade ten student who dislikes studying and feels her education is futile because of their financial status and one or the other day has to take her mother’s profession. Her mother comes up with a solution to motivate her daughter to go to school by joining her school.

* Neerja – Sonam Kapoor (2016)

Directed by Ram Madhvani, Neerja is a movie based on the real-life incidents of a courageous flight attendant Neerja, who lost her life while saving others when her aircraft Pan Am flight 73 was hijacked. The movie features Sonam Kapoor in the title role and with Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tiku and Shekhar Ravjiani in supporting roles. ‘Neerja’ depicts a woman’s courage to face the toughest situation.