Indian society is often accused of being sexist and the Bollywood movies have often reflected the same. But gone are the days when heroine characters were just for the glam factor, check out the list of iconic female characters in Bollywood.
Female-centric movies are becoming the norm in Bollywood, but this was not always the case. Women had to raise their voices and struggle for their rights, even in the entertainment industry. From being just eye candy to carrying the whole film and making it a blockbuster, our Bollywood actresses have come a long way, and this post is dedicated to all the famous female Bollywood characters.
Sridevi as Shashi in English Vinglish English Vinglish was released in 2012 and marked Sridevi’s return to the silver screen. Her character, Shashi, left a long-lasting mark and raised some important questions regarding the life of a homemaker. The late actress did a commendable job connecting the audience with the dilemma of being a housewife while having to compromise with their dreams and identity.
Shashi looks timid and easy to suppress most of the time but eventually decides to take a stand for herself, which many housewives fail at. Shashi undoubtedly tops the list of iconic/famous Bollywood characters female.
Kangana Ranaut as Rani in Queen Kangana is known for her outspoken feminist personality, and this radiates in her Bollywood characters as well. The prime example of an iconic Bollywood character female is Rani from the movie Queen . When she gets ditched at the wedding altar, the small-town girl does not let the people around her dictate her life anymore.
Rani, despite having a language barrier, decides to go to Europe alone for her honeymoon. When she explores the world independently, she rediscovers herself and realizes her self-worth.
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Anushka Sharma as Meera in NH10 Meera’s character in NH10 is a strong independent woman who lives in a society where women are treated no less than men. But when she encounters a totally different world with violent, sexist, and misogynist men, she fights back mentally and physically for the sake of her husband.
Anushka’s acting received a lot of praise for portraying one of the famous Bollywood characters female in such a raw and realistic manner. The movie voiced some major societal crimes like marital rape and honor killing.
Vidya Balan as Vidya Bagchi in Kahaani Vidya Balan has always experimented with her characters, and her 2012 film, Kahaani, portrayed the story of a pregnant woman who steps out to avenge her husband’s death.
The movie successfully broke the stereotype of women being weak during pregnancy. It highlighted how a woman is mentally stronger than anyone and can overcome the biggest challenges for the sake of their loved ones. Vidya Bagchi to date remains one of the strongest female Bollywood characters.
Parineeti Chopra as Meeta in Hasee Toh Phasee Parineeti Chopra’s character in Hasee Toh Phasee is not your regular eye-candy female lead. She is smart and does not give F about what others think of her. The makers avoided glamming Meeta’s character to give it a raw and realistic feel which adds up to her charm. Meeta is an anti-social chemical engineer who is a mystery even to her own family.
Meeta shows us how to live a life by prioritizing ourselves. She fights her mental illness alone and sometimes goes to the extreme extent of hacking into her father’s account to support her finances. Her innocence and awkward nature will make you want to care for her.
Deepika Padukone as Piku From Piku Deepika’s titular character, Piku is way beyond a well-written fictional character, it is an emotion that touched everyone. Piku is an independent single woman who still lives with her father for the sake of his health issues. The father-daughter bond can be seen eventually turning into a mother-son bond.
The movie very well portrayed how the roles of parents and children get reversed as the years pass by and the struggles faced by the children without villainizing any of the parties.
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Rani Mukherjee as Shivani in Mardaani Rani Mukherjee has done multiple female-oriented movies but her most iconic Bollywood characters female is to date inspector Shivani from Mardani. The movie and Rani’s character received so much love that soon part 2 titled, Mardani 2 , was released.
Shivani’s character shines through the male-dominated role of a police officer and makes you wish you could witness such characters in real life. Shivani does not hold herself back anywhere for being a woman and challenges all the evil head-on.
Alia Bhatt as Sehmat in Raazi What makes Sehmat’s character and Raazi so special is the fact that it is inspired by the real-life story of a young woman whose love for her country made her sacrifice her youth without a second thought. Sehmat is married off to a Pakistani officer so that she can spy on the family and help Indian Intelligence with whatever information she can find.
Sehmat went out of her way and showed her dedication to the country and its people. The movie is an adaptation of Harindar Sikka’s book ‘Calling Sehmat’ and the makers and the actors have done justice to the actual story.
Taapsee Pannu as Amrita in Thapppad The 2020 film, Thappad , highlighted one of the major societal challenges faced by a woman. It showcased how Amrita who has dedicated her whole life towards her husband and her in-laws starts questioning everything when her husband slaps her in front of everyone out of rage.
When all the people including her own mother expect her to move on from the situation instead of questioning the husband’s behavior, she realizes that she will have to take a stand for herself even if she has to stand alone. Amrita is one of the most famous Bollywood characters female who highlighted the most prevailing yet most ignored issue of our society.
Janhvi Kapoor as Gunjan in Gunjan Saxena Gunjan Saxena recites the tale of dedication, discipline, patriarchy, and patriotism. Gunjan Saxena is the daughter of an Army officer who has been fascinated by airplanes since her childhood and dreams of becoming a pilot. Her father is a feminist who believes women can achieve anything, on the contrary, her brother is a sexist who constantly breaks her moral thinking that certain jobs should be left for men.
When the Indian Air Force opens applications for women fighter pilots, Gunjan takes on the opportunity to fulfill her dream. During the Kargil War, she became the first woman pilot to enter a war zone against the commands to help her fellow army officers which included her brother. What makes the movie special is the fact that it is based on a true story and is one of the famous Bollywood characters female that will remain timeless.
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