Girls Run the World

Mehboob Khan's 1957 magnum-opus 'Mother India' is one of the first big Bollywood film with a strong female protagonist. The film was India's official nomination at the Oscars that year and was a powerful representation of a woman who rose against all odds to raise her sons.

The critically acclaimed 'Astitva' starring Tabu is based on the story of a woman who seeks love from another man after her husband fails to give her the time she desires. The film attempts to liberate a woman from male chauvinism.

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Controversial at the time of its release, Mahesh Bhatt’s Arth is still regarded as Indian cinema at its finest. Released at a time when the young filmmaker was trying to make his mark in the industry, Arth tells the story of Inder (Kharbanda), Pooja (Azmi) and Kavita (Patil) in a tale of adultery, deceit and remorse. Featuring a stellar cast spearheaded by two of the finest actresses to come out of India, Arth is an evergreen classic and is widely considered to be Bhatt’s finest film.

Also directed by a woman, 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' was neck deep in controversy before its release for being "lady oriented". The film however rose against all odds and hit screens in 2017. 'Lipstick Under My Burkha' starring Konkana Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah among others is based on the lives of four women who are attempting to break away from the norms set by the conservative society.

Based on real-life bandit, Phoolan Devi, this film is possibly Shekhar Kapur's most hard-hitting work till date. From being a victim of sexual and physical abuse to leading a gang of men to finally taking her revenge, the storytelling will leave you unsettled to say the least. Seema Biswas' commendable portrayal of Phoolan Devi won her a national award for her performance. It is one movie that you will remember for a lifetime.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Lisbeth Salander is one of the best female protagonists I’ve come across in modern literature. Lisbeth Salander is a great protagonist because so much is given to us in the books, and those who have read them will take this with them into the theatre. It won’t be the same, but I’m sure those who haven’t read the books will be equally impressed with her. She’s a very complex and unconventional character that isn’t simply lumped into the Goth category. She’s got bits of everything: tough, vulnerable, clever, naïve, even bisexual. The film’s representation was also a great take on this modern type of woman.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

If I had to choose, my heart would belong to Louise, but for this list I just had to include them both. I had always thought that protagonists were the characters that you rooted for, that you really liked and wanted to win. Yet I sometimes felt myself thinking “Oh for the love of god, Louise, just push that bitch out of the car.” By the end of the film, I realised that my love/hate relationship with these two was just a reflection of the superb job that Callie Khouri did on creating two very human characters. It’s the excellent use of ordinary-taken-into-the-extraordinary that makes Thelma & Louise one of the newest additions to my favourite films, and it would not have succeeded without two of the most intriguing and endearing female protagonists ever written.

Monster (2003)

A serial killer? Reaaaaally? There’s always room for an anti-hero. Monster is the real life story of Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who killed six men and was eventually executed in 2002. Most praise for the film was directed at Charlize Theron’s preparation for the role and the performance itself, which earned her seventeen awards including the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Actress. Film critic Roger Ebert called Theron’s performance “one of the greatest in the history of the cinema.”. Nowhere else can you find a character so shocking and yet so human and treated with such sincerity.

Million Dollar Baby

It’s not often you come across a memorable female protagonist in a film that so heavily focuses on sports, not to mention the fact that that sport is boxing! Margaret Fitzgerald is an inspirational and memorable character, and it was no surprise when Hilary Swank (quite rightly) nabbed a Best Actress Oscar for the role. And of course, her character wouldn’t have near as enough impact without her co-star Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood). Sometimes it does take a second character to really bring out the full potential of an excellent protagonist, but luckily Maggie is not totally dependent on him. Like so many of the other women on this list, she’s only human, but it’s in how that humanity is shown to us – in her desire to live and die – that is truly inspiring.

Juno (2007)

I love its simplicity. Secondly, because I love Juno! Ellen Page brought quite a lot of improvisation to the role, and I found that that was important to the development of Juno’s character. No one teenager is the same and in a quirky little comedy like this, you’re not going to fail by going a bit “out there” with your performance. Everything right down to the slang and snarky tone of her voice was spot on. Juno reminds us that, no matter what people say about the absolute apocalyptic demise of the youth of today, every kid, no matter the front, is capable of being a little scared sometimes. Juno is the righteous little madam and the vulnerable child inside. And she’s also a mother.

From the May-June 2018 issue of FHM India.