Women’s Day 2020 Special: Minds Behind Strong Female Characters That Have Left Strong Impact On Audience

A film about rape and power, when conceptualised and filmed well, can be the perfect social message that society needs. Ajji is one such film. Siddharth Anand Kumar of Yoodlee Films has picked another compelling and gut-wrenching script that will make your skin crawl with every dialogue. Sushama Deshpande and Sharvani Suryavanshi do a phenomenal job as the main characters. Their stories and their struggles make you want to offer help, only to realise that there are hundreds like this in society. (All PICS Credit- Instagram)

Another film that stirred conversation and showcased the strength of women beautifully was Hitchki. With the talented Rani Mukherjee as the protagonist, the film is a story of an aspiring teacher with Tourette Syndrome who lands her dream job in a fancy school. Siddharth Malhotra has wonderfully managed to bring out her courage without garnering sympathy from the viewers. She disciplines children with wit and spirit and manages to become their friend over time, giving the clear message that no obstacle is too big to achieve your dreams.

A story that revolves around the long-standing India-Pakistan conflict, Kaafir is a web—series headlined by the beautiful Dia Mirza. Inspired from the real life story of Shainaaz, Dia plays Kainaaz, a Pakistani woman who has been falsely held in India as a militant and undergoes multiple struggles to get freedom. Siddharth Malhotra’s vision for this character coupled with Bhawani Iyer and Sonam Nair’s talent has created a layered character that tugs at the strings of your heart and almost engulfs you with her emotion.

A recent release, this is a film that has started a long-overdue and much-needed dialogue about respect, domestic violence and boundaries in a relationship. Written and directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film is an awakening call to all men and women about the deeply ingrained patriarchal beliefs we have been accepting all along. Sinha has perfected every character, be it Taapsee’s Amrita who is the lead or Dia Mirza’s Shivani or Ratna Pathak Shah’s Sandhya. Each character has a story that will connect with audiences at a deeper level and make us question everything we’ve believed in.

Bollywood has been seeing a major shift over the last few years from commercial cinema to meaningful cinema. This trend has been slowly pouring into all content platforms and women-led stories are finding larger viewership every day. With women’s day around the corner, we want to celebrate 5 such strong female characters that have inspired us, moved us and connected with us on a personal level. The masterminds behind these characters are men and women, who deserve recognition for their stellar visualisation and execution.

Yet another film that received rave reviews for its storyline, dialogues and casting was Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi. Alia Bhatt’s nuanced acting brought out the multiple emotions that her character goes through in every shot, every scene of the film. Meghna Gulzar’s vision and talent continues to move viewers till date with this film.