In a largely male-dominated, patriarchal society, rarely do strong women-centric roles get written in Indian cinema. But every now and then, our actresses portray such fierce roles that it makes us sit up and take notice. It gives us a much needed push to be free, independent, liberated and not take things lying down. On International Women’s Day today, we list down 15 strong women-centric characters in Bollywood, essayed during the last five years…
Deepika Padukone – Cocktail (2012)
Deepika Padukone as the smoking hot, sassy Veronica, who’s the life of every party, was also the life of the film. Veronica also had a golden heart and could go to any length for the people she loved. She couldn’t be labelled in a box and that was the best part about her.
Priyanka Chopra – Barfi! (2012)
Priyanka Chopra as the adorable Jhilmil Chatterjee, an autistic girl whose head was in the right place, was simply adorable. Despite her physical and mental handicaps, this girl showed exemplary courage as she loved Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) with conviction. When she guards her husband from Ileana D’Cruz’s character right at the end, all you can do is root for this spirited woman.
Sridevi – English Vinglish (2012)
The central character Shashi Godbole, played to perfection by Sridevi, was actually inspired from director Gauri Shinde’s mother. The story of a docile housewife, who seeks admission to an English speaking course to stop getting taunted by her family, welled up everyone’s eyes.
Vidya Balan – Kahaani (2012)
A pregnant woman in search of her husband fighting against all odds… that too with a serial killer on the loose, swept the audiences off their feet. Symbolically compared with Maa Durga who destroys the evil, Vidya carried the entire film on her able shoulders and left everyone gasping for breath.
Rani Mukerji – Mardaani (2014)
For anyone who thinks women should be demure and coy, meet Shivani Shivaji Roy. Rani Mukerji as the top cop shows both physical and mental strength of a woman in Mardaani. She not only single-handedly beat up some nasty goons but also solved a high profile child trafficking case. Respect, respect and some more respect!
Kalki Koechlin – Margarita With a Straw (2014)
Kalki Koechlin broke one societal norm after the other, with her portrayal of a teenager with cerebral palsy named Laila, who’s also in love with another woman. Kalki won the Special Jury Award at the prestigious National Film Awards for this role.
Alia Bhatt – Highway (2014)
Possibly, Alia Bhatt’s best performance till date, Highway changed the very perception of the actor. Alia, as the young, soon-to-be married Veera who finds independence after being abducted, gave a moving performance in this splendid Imtiaz Ali movie. That a young girl had the courage to blurt out her exploitation as a child was both a powerful and empowering scene.
Kangana Ranaut – Queen (2014)
Kangana changed the tide for not just actresses in Hindi cinema, but also women in general, with Queen. From being a timid girl who is jilted by her fiancé for being uncool to a confident and liberated woman who travels the world, Rani (Kangana’s character in Queen) warmed the cockles of everyone’s heart. It encouraged and inspired women to come out of their shells and follow their dreams.
Deepika Padukone – Piku (2015)
She’s independent. She’s flamboyant. She’s unapologetic. She’s Piku. Deepika Padukone played a much-loved Bengali character in Shoojit Sircar’s Piku and won hearts all over, both with the critics as well as the audience.
Anushka Sharma – NH 10 (2015)
Picture a bloodied Anushka Sharma avenging the death of her husband and then sitting down in front of her victim to light up a smoke. Anushka’s portrayal of an urban, badass working woman, whose life changes in a single day, was both chilling as well as a wakeup call for our patriarchal society.
Richa Chadha – Masaan (2015)
As Devi, a small-town girl fighting against taboos around sex, Richa Chadha blew everyone off with her performance. She doesn’t give up till the end and fights against the patriarchal, hypocritical mind-set of the Indian society.
Priyanka Chopra – Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)
It’s not an easy task to stand out strongly in an ensemble cast, but Priyanka Chopra did, in her portrayal of Ayesha Sangha. She had the guts to walk out of a dull marriage because she was not happy. The scene where she faces her parents and her in-laws and asks for a divorce from her husband is both empowering as well as heart-breaking.
Kangana Ranaut – Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015)
This film had not just one, but two strong female characters, and both played to perfection by Kangana Ranaut in a double role. The first being Tanu, who finally changes her wild ways and becomes more compassionate for the man she loves, without giving away her identity. And the second, Kusum, a champion athlete who doesn’t let go of her pride when she realises that the man she loves is still in love with his wife. It was double the awesomeness.
Taapsee Pannu – Pink (2016)
The best thing about this role was the fact that it was so relatable. Any urban, working woman in a metro city could feel Taapsee’s pain and frustration in the movie. Fighting against a bunch of hoodlums with influential family background, Taapsee emerged victorious in the end, thus giving many women like her in India the much needed hope.
Alia Bhatt – Udta Punjab (2016)
Alia Bhatt as a nameless, impoverished young migrant from Bihar, who turns into a drug addicted sex slave, gave one of the best performances of her career in Udta Punjab. Even after being abused on a daily basis, she doesn’t give up, as she stares out of her small window every day and yearns to be free and happy one day. It was a true survivor’s tale.
