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Bollywood finally has some female characters who aren't mere eye candy, each one with her own message. Here are 5 lessons I learnt from these badass women!
Bollywood finally has some female characters who aren’t mere eye candy, each one with her own message. Here are 5 lessons I learnt from these badass women!
There are only a few movies made in Bollywood where the female character was more than just eye candy! Films like Mardani, Piku, Kahaani, proved to us how women can also deliver blockbuster movies. So, here’s a list of some of my favourite female characters in Bollywood- the ones who taught me lessons on life, love, and self!
Kangana Ranaut did real justice to the role Rani. Her kickass performance in Queen teaches us some amazing life lessons that we can count for years.
The small-town girl Rani aka Queen made us realize that your happiness isn’t dependent on a man. And sometimes, living on your own can help you to meet your true self. Rani told us that the secret to happiness is to embrace who you are. She broke all the stereotypes and goes alone to her honeymoon like a strong woman.
She beautifully shows us the value of friendship! In a completely unknown country, she created some beautiful bonds.
Brilliantly directed by Soojit Sircar, Piku shuts down the entire society’s regressive thoughts as it proves how daughters can single-handedly take care of their parents.
For Deepika Padukone as Piku, marriage and babies are not the ultimate goal. Her financially and sexually independent, character teaches us to build our own identities!
Piku showed us that women must not feel guilty about their sexual desires and liberty. She showed us that it is okay to be career-driven even in your thirties. Women need not limit their dreams for the sake of marriage, family responsibilities, or any social burdens.
And, finally, our parents can be difficult to handle when they are old and they will emotionally blackmail you to get things done! But, it’s absolutely okay. We should never give up on them even in their crankiest moments!
“When you don’t like yourself. You tend to dislike everything connected to you. New things seem to be more attractive.” Sashi is a middle-class housewife who is on a quest to find her own identity. She taught us that love without respect is meaningless. Sashi showed us that age and language can’t be a barrier to your dreams.
Your identity is what defines you and you should not lost it no matter what. All women must understand that marriage is not the end of their dreams and career, and to always keep your head held high.
The only way to find happiness is by loving yourself. Sashi was courageous enough to break all the stereotypes and appreciate her uniqueness.
“Sir main sirf apna kaam kar rahin ho, apna farz nibha rahi hoon. Jaise aap apna nibha rahe hain.” (Sir, I am merely doing my job, fulfilling my duty. Just like you are.)
Neerja needs special mention on this list. This is probably the only movie where Sonam Kapoor gave her the best performance till date! When Neerja chooses to sacrifice her own life over others, she taught me that nothing is above humanity.
In the end, caste and religions are nothing in front of humanity. Neerja portrayed the true meaning of gender equality through her character. She was loyal to her duty.
Oh, and how can I not talk about the heart touch song “Jeete Hai Chal!” It still gives me all the chills!
Though Naina was the central character in YJHD, I fell in love with her best friend- Aditi! Aditi was fierce and showed us that sometimes the one we love may not love us back. She taught us that it is perfectly okay, that it is perfectly okay to let them go.
Aditi showed us that moving on doesn’t have to be ugly; that in the end, you will find someone worthy of your love. “Simple hai, kuch logo ke sath sirf waqt bitane se hi sab kuch theek ho jata hai.” (It’s simple. You only have to spend time with certain people and things seem fine)
Could you relate to any of these? Do let me know!
Ciao!
Picture credits: Stills from the movies mentioned in the piece
I am a freelance content writer. I've turned my passion for writing into my profession. I create engaging content across various niches. From Life-Style to Self-Care, you wish I deliver! You can read more...
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The plight of Indian women's mental health often goes unnoticed. Co-founders Vivek Satya Mitram and Pooja Priyamvada conceived the idea of the Bharat Dialogues Women & Mental Health Summit to address this.
Trigger Warning: This contains descriptions of mental health trauma and suicide, and may be triggering for survivors.
Author’s note: The language and phraseology used are not the author’s words but the terms and narrative popularly used for people living with mental illnesses, and may feel non-inclusive. It is merely for putting our point across better.
I have seen how horrifying was the treatment given to those with mental illness.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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