No one can deny that Bollywood is a male-dominated industry. While it disappointed many of us with the regressive, sexist, and misogynist portrayal of women, sometimes it has given us some memorable female characters too. These female characters gave some really great life lessons to live by. Here are selected female characters, who not only carved out a special place in our hearts but also gave us some really great life lessons.
1 Datto played by Kangana Ranaut in the film Tanu Weds Manu Returns– This dialogue ‘ You do not need a man to prove your worth’, speaks a lot about her character.
2 Laila played by Katrina Kaif in the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara– Her philosophy in the film is ‘ Do not let money define your happiness. Take time out for whatever makes you happy’, defines the thinking of the character.
3 Naina played by Deepika Padukone in the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani– Her character in this film believes ‘It is cool to lead a regular life and even cooler to own your choices’, showing how strong is her belief.
4 Geet played by Kareena Kapoor in the film Jab We Met-This female character believes in ‘ Always do what your heart says. You need to be your own favourite person.
5 Rani played by Kangana Ranaut in the film Queen– Rani’s philosophy is ‘Do not let a new experience scare you. Take the challenge and you will come out a winner, sums up her character.
6 Piku played by Deepika Padukone in the film Piku– She is a single child of her father (mother is dead), and she says ‘ You do not have to be a son to take care of your parents’ defines her mission in the life, even at the cost of personal life.
7 Sulu played by Vidya Balan in the film Tumhari Sulu– Is middle aged housewife, who is also late-night RJ. Her conviction is ‘ Follow your dreams and show everyone who has put you down in life, that you are capable of achieving big things.
8 Usha Parmar played by Ratna Pathak Shah in the film ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’. She is a widow in her mid-50s and her philosophy is ‘ Seek small joys and discover new wonders, despite your age. Nothing can stop you from doing what you love, no matter what’s your age’.
9 Silk played by Vidya Balan in the film The Dirty Picture– Is film actress who plays a sensuous role in the films. Her philosophy is ‘ Embrace your sexuality and do not be embarrassed about it’, which sums up her character.
10 Poo played by Kareena Kapoor in the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham– Is a young beautiful girl, who believes in ‘ Love yourself before you love someone else’.
11 Shashi played by Sridevi in the film English Vinglish– Is a middle-aged house wife, who goes to the USA for a family function and starts learning English, she believes in ‘ There is no age to learn new things. And, it is never too late to stand for yourself ‘.
12 Kashibai played by Priyanka Chopra in the film Bajirao Mastaani– is the first wife of Bajirao. Her philosophy is ‘ He is just Pati, not Parmeshwar’. This sums up her strong character even after her husband brings second wife.
There are many more strong female characters created by Bollywood filmmakers, but earlier it used to be very few. Above mentioned female characters are from the films of the last decade, which proves that slowly filmmakers are breaking away from male character-driven films, and slowly turning toward female-oriented themes.
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Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
6th May 2022
Prakash Mahadalkar
These are some of the talented actresses of the last decade who have created their own image in the film industry.