For Women’s Day, 10 Female-Centric stories that made an impact

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The female-centric films ruled until the early 1960s and then again received a boost from the millennium. Madhuri Dixit Nene, Vidya Balan, Tabu, Dimple Kapadia, Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra, Taapsee Pannu, Alia Bhatt and of late, Yami Gautam Dhar, Bhumi Pednekar, Sanya Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor have preferred assignments with strong characters.

For International Women’s Day that falls on March 8, we look, however, at 10 movies and web series that were not about solo women but about a synergistic combination of two or more females that proved that women were decidedly not just the fairer sex but also the tougher ones. Here goes.

Article 370 (Directed by: Aditya Suhas Jambhale)

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Narrated from a true incident, the film was driven by two strong women protagonists, dedicated field agent Zooni Haksar (Yami Gautam Dhar) and Rajeshwari Swaminathan (Priyamani), secretary to the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office). Zooni’s ruthlessness towards the enemies of her nation and Rajeshwari’s understated intensity and power packed a mega-punch when they came together.

Chak De! India (Directed by: Shimit Amin)

Motivated by their male trainer (Shah Rukh Khan), the saga was finally about the girls who rose as one above their personal beliefs, prejudices and differences to clinch the World Cup in Hockey for India. In a unique move, the Screen Awards jury awarding the Best Supporting Actress award to all the “16 Chak De! Girls”!

Dor (Directed by: Nagesh Kukunoor)

A heartwarming tale about the bond between a strong and an initially timid woman, initially strangers, and their strange connection with a crime that involved their husbands, Dor remains Nagesh Kukunoor’s greatest cinematic milestone, and the last scene is simply unforgettable as a takeaway. Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag were the protagonists.

Four More Shots Please! (Directed by: Anu Menon / Nupur Asthana / Joyeeta Patpatia)

I am involving three web series here for their exceptional content. This tale of four modern urban girls and their romantic and other escapades and misadventures ran into three seasons (2019, 2020 and 2022), each directed by different women, and may go into a fourth one. The writing was cerebral and hugely entertaining despite a slight overdrive in expletives. Sayani Gupta, Bani J., Kirti Kulhari and Maanvi Gagroo played the four damsels who, in the final analysis, couldn’t be bothered by the prevalent mores of the world and wanted to live their lives their way.

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bhansali)

This was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s most ambitious venture to date. Breaking the record for the most-viewed Indian series in its first week of release on Netflix, it was trending at No. 1 in 10 countries and was among the top ten most-watched shows in 43 countries. Set in the British era in the red-light district of Lahore (in undivided India), the ensemble cast boasted of Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sharmin Segal Mehta. The courtesans of these times were not mere entertainers. They were educators, influencers and sometimes revolutionaries who played a pivotal role in shaping the history of their era.

Laapataa Ladies (Directed by: Kiran Rao)

When wives are exchanged in a village, pandemonium breaks out in the family. But there is more than meets the eye as we find out. The correct bride develops a bond with a strong-willed woman who owns a stall on a railway platform, and the girl who has replaced her has a mission of her own. Nitanshi Goyal and Pratibha Ranta are the women, while Chhaya Kadam is the tough old lady. Laapataa Ladies had a very sturdy message and remains the only film here directed also by a woman.

Mission Mangal (Directed by: Jagan Shakti)

Based on a real event with judicious doses of fictionalization, the Akshay Kumar-toplined home production, Mission Mangal, was all about the combined power of five determined women being bigger than the sum of their individual strengths. Sonakshi Sinha, Vidya Balan and Taapsee Pannu joined hands with Kirti Kulhari and Nithya Menen for this robust tale of women-power, set against India’s space expedition to Mars.

No One Killed Jessica (Directed by: Raj Kumar Gupta)

Here was another real story that underscored the fact that women could be as formidable as men. Rani Mukerji played a feisty and unrelenting reporter who wanted to get to the bottom of a high-profile murder case and dig out the truth. She brings out the best in the murdered bartender’s sister, who has struggled to find justice for her sister and has almost accepted defeat.

Saand Ki Aankh (Directed by: Tushar Hiranandani)

Two sixty-plus women, who are ace sharpshooters in a village known for conservative patriarchy, take it as a passionate mission to not only empower themselves but also their offspring in the face of opposition from the regressive men. Taapsee and, even more so, Bhumi Pednekar, gave standout portrayals as the two grandmas!

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo (Directed by: Homi Adajania)

The third series in this list was produced by current hotshot producer Dinesh Vijan as his web debut, and had the girls handle the guns and cause much gore with their gumption, while the men, except for two, were largely helpless onlookers. Rani Baa (Dimple Kapadia) runs the Rani Cooperative in a small Rajasthan hamlet with a Rs. 500 crore turnover. This firm that markets textile and herbal medicines is actually a front for an incredibly big drug cartel, and her multiple right-hands are her two daughters-in-law (Isha Talvar and Angira Dhar) and daughter (Radhika Madan). Yes, this film is about ‘negative’ charge, but it is still about women being more intrepid than the male of the species!

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