How Right Is Bollywood In Explaining Feminism?

Feminism is hands down one of the most dicussed and debated issue in the last few years. Women are no longer the submissive, timid and docile creatures who will accept the situations and sit in their homes. More and more women are recognizing their worths and taking the centre stage in the world. 

Bollywood as well is going through one major shift as far as its representation of women characters is concerned. Once depicted in side roles with no significant screen space and time, now more and more Bollywood films are having lead female characters with meaty roles. This is definitely a welcoming change in Hindi Cinema.

From Rani in Queen to Shashi in English Vinglish to Piku in Piku, Bollywood has presented some marvelous and strong female leads which are definitely no less than role models for the millenials. 

Source: imdb

Bas as much Bollywood is going right, it won't be wrong to say that it going astray too and feeding some illogical idea of feminism too. Okay.. lets not get too harsh about it. But this is definitely not what we want to be presented as feminism.

The recently released Manmarziyaan has Rumi played by Tapsee Pannu. She is fiery, vibrant and shades of boldness possible. She smokes, she drinks and has pre marital sex. Basically, everything that the society frowns upon, especially in a conservative place like Amritsar.  Sure, this movie like most movies in the recent past is breaking the stereotypical expectations generally linked with women. But is this what feminism is all about?

Source: imdb

The character of Rumi is not new or fresh. Lately, this stock "women" character is seen very often. Be it the character of Tanu played by Kangana Ranaut or Bitty by Kriti Sanon in Bareilley ki Barfi, which was a milder version of the same.

There's absoloutely no issues with such representation. Choice is choice, afterall. But is smoking, drinking and casual sex the only parameters for modernism and feminism for women in Bollywood nowadays?

What's lacking in this representation is women with ambitions and goals. What we get in the name of it is just women breaking stereotypes.

The same debate arose earlier this year after the release of Veerey Di Wedding. Sure, it was quite a relief to see a film on female bonding and friendship. But yet again, it ended up showing flawed concept of feminism.

Source: imdb

It would be unfair to say that Bollywood hasn't produced strong and empowered female characters. Right from films like Mother India, there are plenty of such examples with apt depiction of a woman's strength. But lately, there is there's sudden outflow of same, cliche modern woman which viewers are tired of watching.

As much as we want to see women breaking stereotypes, we want to see a much more sensible depiction of Feminism.