Bollywood films empowering women

Feminism today has become one of the most discussed topics in the country. When everyone is taking a step to make some contribution to the cause of women-empowerment, Bollywood is not lagging behind. While Bollywood films mostly objectify women, there are a few films which revolve around the life of women, their importance in our lives and give messages that are not just limited to the bedroom and the kitchen.

Here is a list of Bollywood films which had an essence of women empowerment...

Queen

2014 super hit film Queen starring Kangana Ranaut playing Rani whose fiancé calls off their wedding because their status do not match. Rani who is heartbroken decides to go to her honeymoon alone to Paris and Amsterdam. Initially it becomes difficult for her to cope up with the pain and heart break but as she meets new people in her journey she learns that marriage is not the be all and end all of life. Her solo honeymoon becomes a beautiful adventure for her and she finally comes back to India as a strong, happy and independent Rani.

Chak De! India

Chak De! India, a film which focuses on women hockey players is another good example of women empowerment. The film breaks the stereotypical mind-set that women cannot understand and play sports as men do. The film which was released in the year 2007 received many accolades for its inspirational storyline. The film also focuses on the rifts the female hockey players have amongst themselves, but in the end all differences are settled as they come together and play for India and win the game.

Kahani

Vidya Balan's 2011 hit film Kahani, where she plays a role of Vidya Baghchi, also has a portrayal of a strong woman. Vidya's character is in search of her missing husband. She travels from London to Kolkata alone in her final trimester of pregnancy to find her missing husband. As the story moves forward, we get to know Vidya's character in an even better manner. She is a very patient, fearless and has a good sense of humour. Even though she faces lot of hurdles when she hunts for her missing husband, Vidya puts up a brave front and finally succeeds in her motive which is revealed at the end of the movie.

English Vinglish

English Vinglish, Gauri Shinde's 2012 hit flick is a film based on rediscovering oneself. The plot revolves around a housewife Shahshi Godbole (Sridevi), who is always teased by her children and husband for her inability to speak English. When she travels to New York for a niece's wedding, she secretly joins English speaking classes there. Initially, she is scared, under-confident and finds it difficult to tackle new things in a new city. Somehow she overcomes all the difficulties she is facing and thus emerges as a strong and determined woman and continues with her classes. This movie teaches us that there is no age for learning new things and a woman should respect herself no matter what opinion others form about her.

Mardaani

Mardaani, Rani Mukherji's 2014 crime thriller hit film, is a good example of brave feminism. The film gives out a message for women to be like men in order to overcome any kind of crisis they face in their lives. Rani Mukherji essays the role of Shivani Shivaji Roy, a cop in the Mumbai Crime Branch who is strong, brave, no-nonsense cop who also has a good sense of humour. The film is about human trafficking where young girls from all over the country are abducted and are forced in flesh trade. The movie shows that a woman should not be considered to be a sex toy because when the need arises to fight for her own dignity she can make even the strongest of men bite the dust.