Whether it’s Hollywood or the Indian film industry, female filmmakers have been consistently making a mark behind the camera as remarkable directors. Many of them are behind some of the most loved films and web series and that includes India as well. For this article, we have compiled a list of five must-watch films and series which have been helmed by female Indian directors. All titles are streaming on various Indian OTT platforms.
English Vinglish – Directed by Gauri Shinde (Streaming on Jio Cinema, Zee5, Eros Now)
A simple and sweet homemaker (played by Sridevi) is often looked down upon by her own family for her flawed English accent. During her visit to a wedding function in America, she gets a chance to fulfill her latent desire to learn to speak in English. Whether circumstances allow her to achieve this little dream is what comprises the film’s basic premise.
Peepli Live – Directed by Anusha Rizvi (Streaming on Netflix)
The satirical dark comedy movie was backed by Aamir Khan and was Anusha Rizvi’s directorial debut. The plot revolves around an impoverished farmer named Natha (Omkar Das Manikpuri), who contemplates suicide as a solution for his loan getting squared off by the authorities and to save his land. But his decision soon turns out to be the media’s centre of attraction. The film features an ensemble cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Raghuvir Yadav, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths – Co-Directed by Leena Yadav (Streaming on Netflix)
‘House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths’ is a three-part true-crime documentary series by ‘Parched’ creator Leena Yadav and Anubhav Chopra. It revolves around the unsettling truths and various theories relating to the deaths of eleven people of the same family in the Burari area of Delhi in the year 2018.
Luck By Chance – Directed by Zoya Akhtar (Streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video)
The film was the directorial debut of Zoya Akhtar. The plot revolves around the story of an aspiring Bollywood actor Vikram (played by Farhan Akhtar), his relationship with another struggling actress Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma), and how, by a twist of fate, he gets his first big break. The film also featured Hrithik Roshan, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, and had cameos by Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, and Abhishek Bachchan, amongst others.
Qarib Qarib Single – Directed by Tanuja Chandra (Streaming on Netflix, Zee5)
It’s a heart-warming rom-com helmed by Tanuja Chandra (Director – Dushman, Sangharsh). The story centers around two diverse personalities. One is a lovelorn widow named Jaya (Parvathy Thiruvothu) and the other is a carefree and happy-go-lucky person Yogi. They meet through an online dating app. When Yogi brags about his girlfriends and that they still love him, Jaya challenges him and the duo undertakes an amusing inter-state journey. Their misadventures and comical chemistry comprise the rest of the film’s story.