Over the years, Hindi cinema has witnessed the female lead take on different roles, and they range from being the sacrificing mother, the damsel in distress, to a woman in charge of her own destiny. There, however, is one thing that becomes clear when you trace the evolution of women in Bollywood and that’s the viewer’s gaze, one that is influenced by a variety of factors, including politics, the socio-economic structure of the society at that particular time, and culture. 

Recently, Bollywood has seen a spate of box-office money spinners that have women taking the center stage and carrying the story, be it Deepika Padukone’s Gehraiyaan, Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, or the upcoming Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah starrer Jalsa. 2022 seems to be off to a good start.

Gehraiyaan set the ball rolling for Deepika Padukone yet again as she took on a challenging role breaking the so-called taboo and stereotypes, Alia Bhatt too took the road less travelled by embracing a role that not just celebrated a powerhouse of a woman but is also now one of the most influential characters we’ve seen on screen.  

Similarly, Jalsa, an Amazon Prime Video original, has also been creating a lot of buzz, especially since the trailer gave the audience a glimpse of how intriguing this story is going to be. Known for acing every character they take on, Vidya Balan as Maya, and Shefali Shah as Rukhsana, are sure to elevate the movie to another level.

Here’s hoping this a path more storytellers are willing to go on and bring out stories that have women leading the narrative.

(Featured Image Credits: Instagram)