New Delhi: While women’s day has been celebrated for many years, it is only now that we can safely say that women are in the forefront across different industries. One such industry which has celebrated women is Bollywood. Female-centric films with compelling characters played by women are being written as we speak. Female directors are being seen making off-beat films that are not only acclaimed critically, but also commercially. This is what we can truly call the revolution, the change in our country and it can be seen everywhere we go.
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Some of the leading directors who have carved a niche for themselves with extremely successful films are Zoya Akhtar,Paakhi A Tyrewala, Meghna Gulzar and Ashwini Iyer Tiwari.
Zoya Akhtar
Hot off the success of yet another strong, path-breaking and moving film Gully Boy, Zoya Akhtar is a visionary director creating magic with the camera. Zoya’s previous films Luck By Chance and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara also received immense praise and was much loved by the audiences. She received humongous appreciation from critics and audiences alike and will also be debuting in the digital space with her next venture Made in Heaven.
Paakhi Tyrewala
Paakhi Tyrewala’s recent film Pahuna: The Little Visitors has been celebrated nationally and internationally for its relevance and global appeal. The film received acclaim at the Schlingel Film Festival 2018 – Germany along with the award for Best Film. Also an independent character piece and an individual portrait, her other film Kajal also received multiple awards at Feedback Female Film Festival 2017 – Toronto, Bangalore Shorts Film Festival 2017 – India, River to River Florence Indian Film Festival 2017 - Italy and Jaipur International Film Festival 2017 – India.
Alankrita Srivastava
Another director who made a mark with her first and only film, a black comedy Lipstick Under My Burkha is Alankrita Srivastava. The film portrayed the sexuality of women in a new light, bringing to the fore a tabooed topic through a much-needed medium. Alankrita is the modern woman of today, who not only looks at the world differently but also chose to bring it us on a new platter.
Meghna Gulzar
Giving Alia Bhatt one of her most iconic films, Meghna Gulzar is the maestro behind Raazi, a film that evoked a strong nationalism in every viewer. Meghna has previously made Talvar, another masterpiece that moved audiences and was massively appreciated. Meghna's vision and eye for detail has helped her craft her characters with an in-depth and insightful perfection that was applauded by fellow filmmakers as well.
Ashwini Iyer Tiwari
While she has only made two films in Bollywood – Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi, both of them have been lauded for tapping a unique space and challenging societal norms with humour. Currently working on her third directorial Panga, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari has worked on hundreds of ad films and comes with an unmatched understanding of cinematography.
With stirring words, gripping cinematography and a delectable turn of phrase, successful films are a given. We can definitely say that this women’s day, it’s time to celebrate our women and directors in Bollywood are already at it!