Get Inspired, Be Empowered Forums Sexism & Patriarchy What do you think about changing of portrayal of women in Bollywood? Reply To: What do you think about changing of portrayal of women in Bollywood?

Anika
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Bollywood, which is no doubt the most popular film Industry in India and one of the most popular film industries of the world boasts many iconic films and many actors and actresses have shot to fame due to Bollywood. Yet, it has its faults. One of them being the portrayal of women in films.
Women have been subject to many stereotypical roles such as the damsel in distress, the seductress, the reward for the hero and so on. Women are much more than male arm candy. They are their own people. Women are often seen as secondary in Bollywood movies since the male hero is much more important.
Movies promote toxic masculinity and toxic relationships. Many romance movies have the plot where the girl rejects the boy but the boy tries to do everything in his power to date her and at the near end of the film the girl has a change of heart and they live happily ever after. They also glorify stalking, lack of consent and rape. You might be wondering why this even matters because this is just a movie and that this doesn’t happen in the real world. Young men admire these heroes onscreen and when they see their hero enacting these types of behaviors, they feel that it’s okay and they would want to do the same thing to their crush. We have to understand that there is a difference in what we see and what we do. It’s fiction, and this is our real life. We will suffer the consequences of our actions if we’re not careful and that love isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
Male directors, scriptwriters and producers outnumber the amount of female directors, scriptwriters and producers. Some male directors do not portray women in their films well. Most of the women in their films are based on misogynistic stereotypes and sexism.
Fortunately, there are female lead films which are popular and are directed by Women, one of the examples being English Vinglish directed by Gauri Shinde. Raazi is also a good movie with a female lead who isn’t a stereotype.
The times are changing. People want to consume media which is free of stereotypes. Women are raising their voices more and some are actually listening. I hope that there will be more female lead movies which aren’t stereotypes. I hope that movies will be enjoyed by all, and not just the target audience.