‘A woman who moves forward in a man’s world is special’, this statement of American singer Rihanna has not been true in Hindi cinema till now. Even in the 21st century, women-centric stories in Bollywood, which have created their own identity across the world, are trying to make a place for themselves. Despite all the efforts, these films are far from success at the box office. It is not that women artists or directors are not making meaningful efforts. Actually, many reasons are responsible behind this situation. Know, what are those reasons?
Initiatives of ‘Assi’ and ‘Mardaani 3’ went in vain
So far this year, two women-centric Hindi films have been released, Taapsee Pannu’s ‘Assi’ and Rani Mukherjee’s ‘Mardaani 3’. In both the films, sensitive topics related to women have been raised. The film ‘Assi’ talks about heinous crimes like rape, while ‘Mardaani 3’ raises the issue of child trafficking. Both the stories shock you to the core. But if we look at their box office collection, it is clear that the audience stayed away from them.
Weak collection broke expectations
The film ‘Assi’ earned only Rs 10 crore on the 16th day of its release. Whereas Rani Mukherjee starrer ‘Mardaani 3’ has made a total collection of Rs 50.36 crore till the 37th day. Last year, Kajol’s film ‘Maa’ was released in theatres. Whereas a film like ‘Mrs.’ was seen on OTT. Every year only a few women-centric films are seen by the audience, hence the success figures are also limited. Producers still avoid playing dawa in women centric films.
What is the main reason?
The question is whether it should be regretted only that the audience does not like women-centric films, then the reality is the opposite. For the audience, a film is just a film. Kangana Ranaut’s films ‘Queen’, ‘Tanu Weds Manu’, Taapsee Pannu’s ‘Pink’, Sridevi’s ‘English Vinglish’, Alia Bhatt’s ‘Raazi’ and ‘Gangu Bai Kathiawadi’ and ‘Laapta Ladies’ are examples of this. The audience liked these films very much. She also conveys her message to the audience very well. But many such reasons still exist, which make the path of women-centric films difficult. Female audience not having access to theatre: Even today, a large part of half the population does not have access to theatre. Lack of economic freedom is a major reason behind this. A large section of women is still struggling to become financially prosperous. In such a situation, reaching the theater and watching women-centric films has not been included in their priorities. Shortage of women directors: In the cinema world, especially in Bollywood, women are gradually making a place for themselves in many fields other than acting. Many women directors are present in our times. But this number is counted. Even today, women-centric films are made by male directors. When a man talks about a woman’s subject, somehow the sensitivity that should be visible will not be visible on the screen. A woman’s emotions, when directed from a woman’s perspective, will have a profound impact. Gauri Shinde’s film ‘English Vinglish’ and Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapta Ladies’ are successful examples of this. In both the films, the thoughts and feelings of women have been expressed very closely and deeply. Dominance of patriarchal thinking: Be it Bollywood or the audience, patriarchal thinking still dominates them to some extent. A large male section becomes uncomfortable watching a women-centric story on the big screen. Actually, he does not want to see the truth of male society and patriarchy in the story. When the film ‘Mrs.’ was released, a large section of the male society was seen talking against it on social media. Whereas this film asks big questions through a simple story. It hurts patriarchy deeply. Even in Bollywood, most of the producers and companies are run by men, hence they invest their money safely. Instead of claiming women-centric films, they make masala films with big heroes. The conclusion is that even in cinema, half the population has a long way to go. Have to make space for yourself and your stories on the big screen.
