Netflix, National Commission for Women celebrate women in Indian Entertainment industry

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Netflix, in partnership with the National Commission for Women (NCW), hosted special discussions on the role of media and entertainment in empowering women on March 3, ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. The two panel discussions brought together distinguished personalities from the industry, academia, NGOs, women actors and directors, who shared their perspective on the role of storytelling in shaping the narrative of women empowerment.

The day-long event started with a panel discussion on the role of media and entertainment in women empowerment. The panel had celebrated actor and producer Huma Qureshi, Himanshu Rai, director, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore, Veerendra Mishra, Assistant Inspector-General, Madhya Pradesh Police, Nayana Sahasrabuddhe, president, Bhartiya Stree Shakti, Priyanka Kher of Breakthrough India and Uday Singh, head of the Motion Pictures Association.

The second-panel discussion, titled “Her Story, Her Voice: A Conversation with Women in Media & Entertainment”, provided insights on championing female representation in the entertainment industry. The panel featured women actors and directors who are known for their stellar work in depiction of strong, progressive and resilient women through their stories. On the panel were actress Rasika Dugal, Jasmeet K. Reen (director, Darlings), Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul (writer of Thappad) and Prajakta Koli (Indian YouTuber and actress, known for her role in the Netflix series, Mismatched).

Tanya Bami, Series Head, Netflix India, represented the streaming service on the panel. The session was moderated by film critic Sucharita Tyagi. Speaking on the role of storytelling in driving female-forward narratives, Tanya said, “A story well told is a story that stays with you, and at Netflix, we try to do that very deliberately. We are very intentional about presenting female-forward stories that talk about the wonderful leaps women are taking in life. It gives so much power to our audiences, both men and women, to see the victory of women being reflected on screen, whether it is in Delhi Crime with Shefali Shah and Rasika Dugal or even in Emily in Paris.”

She continued, “All of these characters, these different stories depict how women are conquering every single day in small and big ways. Inclusion is very important to Netflix not just in the kind of content but also in our workforce. Across the world, 51percent of Netflix’s workforce is women.”

Rekha Sharma, chairperson, National Commission for Women said, “Cinema can be a massive change agent, but its full potential cannot be realized until we accept and elevate the voices and stories of women. Women’s involvement in all facets of the film industry, including writing, directing, producing, and acting, not only inspires and encourages women everywhere but also ushers in a future that is more fair and inclusive for everyone. Through this NCW-Netflix collaboration, we aim to highlight the amazing abilities of women in film so that future generations will be able to hear their voices, learn about their experiences, and be inspired by what they have accomplished.”

NCW was founded in January 1992 as a statutory body under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. It was established to review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women, recommend remedial legislative measures, facilitate redressing of grievances, and advise the government on policy matters affecting women.