Her Lens: 10 Bollywood Films Where Women Call The Shots
These are not stories where women simply appear strong. They are layered, flawed, desiring, grieving, ambitious individuals navigating complex worlds. From quiet domestic revolutions to political espionage, today⁘s women oriented movies reflect evolving ideas of women empowerment and autonomy.
Here are ten defining women centric movies Bollywood has produced ⁘ films that prove feminist storytelling is not a trend but a necessary evolution. What distinguishes these feminist movies Bollywood has embraced is their refusal to reduce women to archetypes. Instead, they foreground agency ⁘ whether through rebellion, vulnerability, desire, or self-discovery. Directed by Kiran Rao, Laapataa Ladies is a sharp satire set in rural India where two brides are accidentally swapped during a train journey.
What unfolds is not just a comedic case of mistaken identity, but a quietly radical examination of marriage, identity, and the invisibility imposed upon women within patriarchal structures. Rao uses humour and warmth to question societal norms, making it one of the most refreshing recent women centric movies Bollywood has offered.
In Raazi , Meghna Gulzar crafts a tense espionage thriller centred on Sehmat, a young Indian woman trained to spy on Pakistan during the 1971 war. Rather than glorifying heroism in conventional terms, the film explores moral conflict, emotional isolation, and sacrifice through a deeply personal lens. Sehmat⁘s strength lies not in spectacle, but in resilience, making this Bollywood film a powerful example of strong female characters redefining patriotism.
One of the boldest feminist movies in contemporary Indian cinema, Lipstick Under My Burkha follows four women from different generations who grapple with desire, repression, and societal expectations. Alankrita Shrivastava constructs an intimate portrait of female longing and autonomy, challenging moral policing and cultural hypocrisy.
Among modern women oriented movies, this remains a landmark exploration of sexuality and freedom. Other related sources and context: Visit website
