List of women-centric movies that every woman should watch

Hindi cinema has been a mirror reflecting the scenarios and times the country has gone through for decades. Women have come a long way in our movies, from playing decorative objects in movies to becoming a strong force. The Bollywood actresses have graduated from being the abala naari to the woman of strength and substance. They now stand for their rights, fights for their dignity and self-respect, raises their voice against the injustice, and also rebels when they have to.

Effective presentation of changing times and cultures, be it the massive shift in the professions the women are exposed to or even the household abuses that the women of today have stood against has been done in the Hindi movies over the period of time. The women in Hindi cinema have been pivotal in bringing across the transformation the country has been through, from Meena Kumari to Vidya Balan, from Mother India to Lipstick Under My Burkha. Here we bring to you films that show women as the heroes:

Mother India (1957): 

This movie still remains the ultimate Bollywood ode to the Indian woman. It was a Mehboob Khan’s epic drama. The lead role was played by Nargis, doubling up as mother to her own children and to the society at large. The film made ₹ 6 crores at the time of release and was India’s first submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1958. It is considered as one of the biggest box office hits in Indian cinematic history.

Kahaani

Vidya Balan was the only hero of the movie. She graced the screen as Vidya Bagchi. This spine-chilling thriller wouldn’t have been the same level without Vidya Balan in it. Actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Parambrata Chatterjee was too shiny in the background as she swept the audience off their feet with her epic performance..

 English Vinglish

This is one of the movies everyone wants to see a sequel for. From this movie, Sridevi made a great comeback and also became an all-time favourite. Sridevi in this film made her presence felt on the big screen. She successfully portrayed herself as a woman who is a lot more than a mother and a wife. Gauri Shinde has helmed the movie in a way which is brilliant.

Queen

In this movie, we saw the character ‘Rani’ played by Kangana Ranaut go on her honeymoon, alone. How often we get to see this kind of a story? Kangana left us wanting more after every scene of the movie. We couldnt have imagined to see anyone else but her in ‘Rani’s’ character.. Kangana also won a national award for this movie for her commendable performance. This movie hence proved that movie doesn’t need a hero; it just needs a Queen.

No One Killed Jessica

This movies story was inspired by the Jessica Lal case. We couldn’t get enough of Rani’s character as Rani Mukherjee played the journalist who helped Vidya out. There is no scope to look at anyone else in this amazing movie except these two gorgeous women!

Neerja

Sonam Kapoor won a national award for this amazing film. This movie was a biopic of Neerja Bhanot and was acclaimed by the critics and the audience alike. There are many heartwarming scenes in this movie, and we couldn’t imagine anyone else as Neerja. Sonam Kapoor did justice to the character because of which you could connect, smile, and cry.

Lipstick Under My Burkha

The censor board didn’t want India to see this movie. This is a story about four women who wish to break out and live their desires. Konkona Sen Sharma, Plabita Borthakur, Ahana Kumra, and Ratna Pathak Shah are the women were those women. Ratna Pathak Shah breaks every stereotype you have made in this film.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl

This film stars Janhvi Kapoor in the main lead role. This movie is another biographical drama based on the life of Gunjan Saxena. Gunjan Saxena was the first Indian Air Force female pilot in the combat along with Sridivya Rajan. Gunjan Saxena was also a part of combat during the war of Kargil. She evacuated injured soldiers from the war zone in 1999. Gunjan and Flight Lieutenant Srividya Rajan faced fire for their choices, but this never made them back down, and they continued to follow their dreams. Gunjan received the Shaurya Chakra for her bravery. This inspiring story is directed by Sharan Sharma.

Thappad

This is another woman-centric film starring Taapsee Pannu. She is very well known for her realistic portrayal of bold characters. She is all set to portray the role of a wife in this movie who explores the basis of a man-woman relationship along with gender equality in the marriage. Director Anubhav Sinha and Taapsee have put forth a compelling story. 

Pink: 

Another milestone for women-centric films in India. Pink is also starring Taapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachchan in the leading roles giving a strong message on sexual harassment and abuse. Pink shows us why ‘NO’ means ‘NO’ and how it is mandatory for every man to ask for a women’s consent before trying to come close to her. Taapsee Pannu is surely giving one of the best performances of her career in this one. Post this she becomes one of the most renowned Bollywood actors in the country.

Chhapaak: Chhapaak is the story of acid-attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, tarring Deepika Padukone in the lead role. Laxmi Agarwal was attacked by a known person at the age of 15. This amazing movie tells the inspiring story of Laxmi, who started campaigns to prevent acid attacks. She also filed a PIL to stop the acid sale in India. She is a true inspiration for every woman out there. Deepika Padukone is the soul of the movie and performed her role brilliantly. It is directed by critically-acclaimed filmmaker Meghna Gulzar. Chhapaak is a must-watch movie for every woman.

So, how many of them have you watched? Don’t forget to tell us in the comment section down below!