5 daring female directors redefining Indian cinema to the world – from Zoya Akhtar to Mira Nair
Deepa Mehta, Aparna Sen and Meghna Gulzar sit at the front of a wave of female filmmakers redefining Indian cinema with a fresh perspective – from the gritty realism of Filhaal … to crossover Hollywood period dramas such as Vanity Fair
Over the last few years, conversations about equal pay and opportunity have stirred long overdue debate in Hollywood. While Bollywood still needs to kick it up a notch, the film industry is taking steps towards getting their female talent recognised, particularly if they’re behind the camera rather than in front of it.
Don’t believe us? Here are five of the leading female directors who are redefining Indian cinema.
Deepa Mehta
Mehta, who currently lives in Canada, has been directing films and documentaries on cultural identity and social commentary since 1976.
She has been tagged as a “controversial” director, particularly for her Elements trilogy – subtitled Fire, Earth and Water – with the latter attacked by Hindu extremists, resulting in filming being halted for five years. Mehta nevertheless continues to tackle challenging topics, be it the Delhi gang rape in Anatomy of Violence or post-colonialism in Midnight’s Children.
Aparna Sen
Bengali actor-director Aparna Sen never shies away from sociopolitical topics in her films, such as Mr and Mrs Iyer, Arshinagar and Ghawre Bairey Aaj, critically targeting the tricky issues of fundamentalism and ultranationalism.
#VINTAGEVISTAS The one & only female filmmaker in our country to win the National Award for Best Direction is Aparna Sen- 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981) & Mr. & Mrs. Iyer (2002). Basically an actress, she debuted in Teen Kanya (1961). pic.twitter.com/Ldb4huXOhK
— r.s.prakash (@rs_prakash3) February 21, 2020
Viewed as an early feminist and a political filmmaker, Sen states that her interest lies in the individual psychology rather than her own ideologies. “I certainly am a feminist but, in my cinema, I don’t talk about any ‘isms’. I deal only with individuals; even if an ‘ism’ surfaces, it is not underlined,” she told The Hindu.
Mira Nair
The Harvard graduate is known for her take on Indian society with films like The Namesake, Moonsoon Wedding and Salaam Bombay! – the last two nominated both for Golden Globes and BAFTA trophies.
While Nair has made full-fledged Hollywood films such as Vanity Fair and Queen of Katwe, she has returned to her roots with the BBC adaptation of A Suitable Boy. “If we don’t tell our own stories, someone else will, [and] it probably won’t be the same,” she told Den of Geek.
Meghna Gulzar
Daughter of India’s famous poet, Gulzar debuted in 2002 with Filhaal …, a film about surrogacy and motherhood that was ahead of its time.
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After an eight-year sabbatical, her next project, Talvar, was better received and she earned major stardom after Raazi (2018) and Chhapaak (2020). Although her films have stronger female roles, she stated that she still chooses a story “purely by instinct”.
Zoya Akhtar
A more commercial director on this list, Akhtar’s films have managed to breathe fresh air into Indian cinema with their urban plots and glamour, while never departing from social critiques and well-rounded characters like in Luck By Chance and Gully Boy that explore the film industry and street rappers in India.