For years, Bollywood has been riding the wave of women-centric cinema. But is it really making progress, or is it just another buzzword tossed around at panel discussions? Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, known for films like Fashion and Chandni Bar, recently reignited the conversation at the ‘Cine Srishti: Bhartiya Drishti’ event. His call for more women-led narratives sounds noble, but it raises a critical question…
Is Bollywood genuinely ready to “hack” women-centric storytelling?
Bhandarkar himself is no stranger to this space. His films have tackled issues of power, ambition, and exploitation through strong female leads. But here’s the catch, for every Fashion or Page 3, there are a dozen films that label themselves as “women-centric” but fall back on old tropes. Either the protagonist is portrayed as a victim of circumstance, or her story is shoehorned into a male-dominated narrative.
Sure, we’ve seen progress. Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi was a roaring success, and Vidya Balan has carved a niche with roles in Kahaani and Sherni. But how many of these films truly disrupt Bollywood’s comfort zone? For every well-executed film, there’s another that repackages women’s struggles as spectacle, reducing their narratives to melodrama.
Bhandarkar’s suggestion that production houses “bring women-centric themes into the mainstream” is easier said than done. Bollywood thrives on commercial formulas, and unless women-led films guarantee box office gold, producers remain hesitant. It’s also worth asking: Why should women’s stories have to “prove” their worth at the box office? Is it not enough that these narratives exist as reflections of society?
The problem isn’t just about making women the protagonists, it’s about how their stories are told. Are they multidimensional characters, or mere plot devices? Films like Corporate and Heroine attempted to challenge this, but not all attempts have hit the mark. Often, these “strong” female leads are shown crumbling under pressure, reinforcing stereotypes instead of breaking them.
At the heart of the issue is Bollywood’s obsession with hero-worship. Stories of flawed, complex male anti-heroes (think Gully Boy or Kabir Singh) are celebrated, but when it comes to women, audiences are fed “inspirational” arcs that often lack depth. Real women don’t just “overcome odds”, they exist in the messy middle, a space Bollywood rarely explores.
So, can Bollywood “hack” women-centric films? It’s possible, but it requires a shift in mindset, not just marketing slogans. Production houses must stop chasing viral moments and Instagram-friendly narratives. Instead, they should embrace authenticity, nuance, and risk. Bhandarkar’s words are a reminder of Bollywood’s potential, but potential alone isn’t enough. Without sustained effort, Bollywood’s foray into women-centric films may end up as yet another fleeting trend.
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