Watching movies not only entertains but also leaves a lasting impact on media consumers, whether it’s fostering patriotism among citizens, raising awareness of social and human rights issues, shifting political opinion, or introducing new ideas. It has been witnessed for decades that not only Bollywood but the entire cinema industry has kept patriarchal authority in a glass chamber, with movies like Animal and Kabir Singh manifesting it most, showing men as the main characters and women as side or supporting characters.
Table of Contents
Top Movies on Girlhood
In the recent past, Bollywood has stepped forward, making movies for women, where women are the protagonists, the main characters, and the narrators of the movie. Movies have started portraying women as main characters without compromising the quality of the storyline, for instance, Rani Mukherjee in Mardani.
This very step has helped society in improving its perception of women by portraying them as strong personalities who can manage their lives independently, make better decisions for themselves without the interference of others, lead in different fields, work effectively in teams, and are equal to any other human being. Here are the top 5 underrated movies that portray girlhood as being just as powerful as brotherhood.
Girls will be girls (2024)
Girls Will Be Girls, released in 2024, is a movie about a teenage girl named Mira. Mira is in her final year and is a very sharp student. She has maintained her image as a perfect student in front of every teacher. Her dressing sense, her consistent performance in each exam, and her leadership qualities led the school staff to decide that she would be best suited to be the Head Prefect. She was the first in her Himalayan boarding school to be appointed to this position. Despite her achievements, her parents were very strict; they always demanded perfect scores from her and kept a constant eye on her.
The chemistry between Anila and Mira begins to shift with the entry of a new boy, Sriniwas. While he was average in studies, his exposure to life abroad makes him stand out, and his presence slowly changes the equation between mother and daughter. Anila was burdened by the responsibility of caring for Mira, which left her lonely, as even her daughter paid her no attention. By receiving attention from Sriniwas, she got more interested in building her friendship with him. This started concerning Mira, as she was already insecure about her mother’s perfection.
This movie not only shows why a woman’s support is necessary for each woman but also portrays how a girl who is best at her academics and sports still feels lonely, and a little spark of attention by anyone can easily make her feel manipulated and distracted from her goals. A woman must stay in her support for every step and guide her so that she does not fall by avoiding unnecessary restrictions.
For You: Why “Project Hail Mary” struggled to find IMAX screens in India
Lipstick under my burkha (2015)
Lipstick under my Burkha was released in 2015. This movie revolves around the different and secretive lives of four women, each of a different age group, who are struggling for freedom in different ways. One of the women, Rosy, is 55 years old and wants to read erotic novels, but she reads them secretly, hiding from her family. She realizes that she has lived 55 years without thinking about her own desires.
Rehana Abidi is another woman in the movie who is a fresher in college. She is forced to wear a burkha by her family, but wants to wear jeans and apply makeup. Since she is not earning, she starts stealing makeup from a store to fulfill her desires. Leela is a young beautician who runs a beauty parlour on her own. She wants to live with her lover, Arshad, who is a photographer, and dreams of traveling the world with him. She struggles to arrange meetings with destination wedding business owners, trying to work as a makeup artist while introducing Arshad as a wedding photographer.
Shireen Aslam is a housewife and a mother of three boys. Her husband is dominating, and she wants to earn her own money, so she secretly joins a door-to-door sales job. During her work, she finds out that her husband is having an extramarital affair. Despite trying everything to be a perfect housewife, she feels deeply cheated.
The name of the movie itself explains how a woman wants to wear lipstick to feel beautiful or do things that are not accepted by society around her, so she has to hide them behind a burkha or do them secretly. This movie shows how a woman struggles to do even normal things.
For You: Lee Cronin’s “The Mummy”: Release Date, Expectations, And More
Parched (2015)
Parched was released in 2015. This movie again describes the struggling life of four women. Rani is a widow who is trying to be a perfect parent and provide everything for her son, Gulab. But she realizes she has failed in raising him, as he is disrespectful towards women, rebellious, and thinks of women as objects.
Janki is a child whom Rani arranges for her son to marry by paying a large sum to Janki’s parents, thinking this will help her son become settled and responsible. Janki does not want to marry and tries to stop the marriage by cutting her hair, hoping the groom will reject her, but she is still forced to marry. Gulab does not treat her well; he rapes her multiple times and beats her.
Lajjo is another woman who lives in the same village as Rani. She is in a toxic marriage where her husband beats her a lot after drinking every night. She is unable to conceive, because of which her husband considers her useless, and society also thinks the same. The fourth character is Bijli. She is a famous erotic dancer in the village and is shown as the boldest among all three. She advises both Lajjo and Rani, but deep down, she also starts suffering once a younger woman is introduced in the industry. Her fame fades, and she begins to be assaulted by many men who were praising her before.
Parched shows how difficult it is for a woman to survive in a society that not only restricts women but also supports harming them, a society that doesn’t allow anyone to help a woman and tries to hurt any man who attempts to help her, a society that cannot accept a woman’s smile, and a society that never allows a woman to shine.
For You: Avengers: Secret Wars Release Date, Storyline, and Expectations
Angry Indian Goddesses (2015)
This movie, Angry Indian Goddesses, is the story of seven women who reunite to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of them, Frieda, who is a fashion photographer. Frieda avoids revealing who she is marrying in the beginning, which makes her friends more curious and excited. They are all very happy to come together after a long time.
During the celebrations, their conversations slowly turn serious as they start sharing their personal experiences. They talk about the struggles and harassment they have faced, both individually and together, which shows the reality that many women go through. Each character has her own story, and the film gives space to all of them. This movie depicts how strong a woman and girlhood can be, while also showing the emotional side of their lives, their bond, and how they support each other in difficult situations.
Nil Battey Sannata
Can a single mom raise her daughter better than any other? The answer is absolutely yes. Nil Battey Sannata is a movie where you will find multiple lives of different kinds of people. Life of a maid, a sweet relationship between the owner and the maid. Life of a doctor and her way of seeing the world.
Life of a single mom and her only daughter. Life of a teenager and her thinking, feelings, and hate for maths. In this movie, a maid tries hard to make her daughter understand that a successful life can be grabbed by dedication and hard work, not by having wealthy parents. She joined the same school as her daughters in her 30s to complete her studies and be a solid support for her daughter. Nil Battey Sannata is a movie that will definitely amaze you with its cast and storytelling.