Not Your Usual Bollywood Flick: 5 Underrated Indian films every woman should watch

5 Underrated Indian films every woman should watch

thama

29 Mar 2018

updated the 2 April 2018 à 10:17

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Not Your Average Bollywood Flick
Here are our top pick of 5 underrated Indian films every woman should watch - period.
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Water (2005)
Written and directed by Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta as part of the Elements Trilogy, Water is one of those movies that will leave you with a lump in your throat for a long time after. It revolves around a group of Hindu widows in colonial India who were sent to an ashram (monastery) by the Ganges river as a symbol of their ostracisation from the rest of the society. The youngest of them is the high-spirited Chuyia, a seven-year-old girl who has just lost her husband twice as old as her. She bonds with Kalyani (played by Lisa Ray), a pretty widow who is shunned by the other ashram-dwellers, and with Shakuntala, who protects her like her own mother. Water effectively explores the interplay between patriarchy, misogyny, paedophilia, flawed religious doctrines and age-old superstitions. As one event after another unfolds, you will realise that the name of this film is no coincidence – perhaps, it’s in these waters that the women find their liberation.

Photo: IMP Awards
3/6
Margarita With A Straw (2014)
Unlike films that portray 'differently-abled' people in a pity light, Margarita with a Straw revolves around a character who is not only brave and intelligent, but is also in tune with her sexuality. Laila, played by the award-winning French-Indian actress Kalki Koechlin, lives with celebral palsy but does not let her physical limitations trample on her dreams. Despite being wheelchair-bound, she studies hard and successfully secures a scholarship to study in the USA. She is also shown to have a turbulent love life like many other teenagers. This film teaches us that a strong willpower beats all odds.

Photo: IMP Awards
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Pink (2016)
From the very beginning, it becomes clear that Pink is about molestation and rape. There is no dilly-dallying in this one. Played by legendary Bollywood actors like Taapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachchan, it is about three young working women who meet with a twist of fate when their night out with a group of male friends goes horribly wrong. They then keep receiving threat calls and one of them decides to retaliate in anger. That’s when things worsen. Not only is she abducted and molested before being sent back home, she is also arrested by the police for attempt to murder. The women’s lawyer, played by Mr. Bachchan, defends them in court trials and manages to win the case. Throughout the film, you will notice how the society’s hypocrisy is brilliantly brought to the forefront. A truly infuriating movie for all the right reasons we’d say.

Photo: IMP Awards
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Parched (2015)
Parched is the story of three women in rural Rajasthan who struggle with patriarchy and gender inequality. To break stereotypes surrounding the virtues of an Indian woman, the film shows the three women constantly indulging in sexual conversations. It is also one of the few Indian films that have passed the Bechdel test. Like the parched earth of Rajasthan (genius reference!), Parched is about women who are deprived of respect, love and their own sexuality.

Photo: IMP Awards
6/6
Aruvi (2017)
Aruvi (“waterfall” in Tamil) is arguably one of the best women-centric films produced by the Indian film industry to date. Aruvi’s magic does not lie in its music, cinematography or budget (although we’re sure these definitely contributed to its huge success); instead, it lies in the film’s simplicity yet its ability to drag the flaws of the society into the spotlight. It depicts the story of Aruvi, a fictional female character who despite having grown up in a loving family, was chased out of home for contracting HIV. She tries to convince her parents and brother that it was because of a minor road accident and not due to pre-marital sex, but only in vain. Desperate for help, she ends up in various places only to be taken advantage of. The rest of the film shows how her life pans out after she tries to take matters into her own hands. Heartbreaking and thought-provoking, this one’s a must-watch!

Photo: @galattadotcom (Twitter)

These women have nailed their roles and will inspire you to do the same in real life!

Films with strong female leads always get us excited! Even though Indian cinema, particularly Bollywood, is often chalked as a male-dominant, misogynistic industry, we cannot deny that it has also been responsible for the creation of wonderful women-centric content, even more so now.

Not only have these movies successfully made it to international film festivals due to their insanely good plots, the lead actresses have also given mind-blowing performances. You may not be able to relate directly to some of the characters’ struggles, but we are certain that you will empathise with them and be inspired to unleash your inner goddess.

With that in mind, here’s a compilation of carefully-selected Indian films that we believe every woman should watch!

Thamayanthy

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