Gender pay disparity has been an issue for the longest time possible, however, the issue has been more prevalent in the entertainment industry. The same industry in which a woman is worshipped as much as a man and does the same amount of work as her male counterpart, yet somehow lacks in the accounts department.
Various actresses have come out to admit that there indeed is a gender pay disparity between a male and a female actor. Both Hollywood and Bollywood have seen the issue coming in the forefront of almost every conversation relating to the industry.
One of the major counterpoints to this has been the ability to get the audience to watch the movie. Somehow, actors have always been considered to be the audience attractor for a movie. They are the one who gathers the viewers to even consider watching a film, which is why they’re paid more.
As soon as female actors would be able to become that audience attractor, they would be paid more. In order to do so, one needs to have more and more female-driven movies with strong characters and better actors working on it. Gladly, 2018 is just about to become one of such years where the history would not repeat itself.
There are a ton of women-led Bollywood film releases this year and one just can’t keep calm about them. Check out the absolute 5 of these films that we all need to see in 2018.
1. Pari – Not A Fairytale
Anushka Sharma is indeed a role model for various young girls in the country. She started her career as a nobody and soon become one of the youngest producer duos in the country, all thanks to Clean Slate Films that she started with her brother. The brother-sister has already produced 2 hit movies in the past and are all set for the release of the third one. Pari – Not A Fairytale is a horror drama and by the looks of its teaser and various screamers, the viewers are sure about the success of the movie. This particular film might change the course of horror in Bollywood and we for one are too excited for that change to happen.
The film will hit the theatres on March 2nd.
2. Hichki
Somehow Rani Mukherjee never left the industry and continues to give some of the most amazing performances in the film industry. Be it No One Killed Jessica or Mardaani, she continues to do challenging roles and change the definition of a middle-aged actress in the country. She will once again be seen in Sidharth P Malhotra’s Hichki which is a story about a teacher with Tourette syndrome. Something new and different to come out of Bollywood, in a long time.
The film releases on March 23.
3. Veere Di Wedding
This female buddy film is one of the most anticipated releases of the year and is already creating a lot of buzz due to all the names attached to it. Directed by Shashanka Ghosh and produced Rhea Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, and Nikhil Dwivedi, Veere Di Wedding casts some of the most talented female actors in the industry. This includes Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania. Internet’s favourite actor Sumeet Vyas is also playing a key role in the movie.
The film is slated for June 1 release.
4. Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi
Kangana Ranaut is one of the most influential and talented actresses in the industry as of now, and even though her last few releases have tanked on the box office, we all know that she’ll be back soon and back with a bang. Manikarnika offers just the right platform to Ranaut and it would be the first time viewers would be able to see her playing a historical character in an epic biographical film. The film is based on the glorious life of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi.
Even though the exact date of the release has not yet been finalised, makers have made June to be the month of its release.
5. Raazi
Raazi is directed by Meghna Gulzar and is based on Harinder Sikka’s best selling novel, Calling Sehmat. The movie is about a Kashmiri Spy married to a Pakistani man during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. While Alia Bhatt plays the role of Sehmat, aka Amada, Vicky Kaushal will be seen as Meneeb, her husband. Fans are already rooting for the movie and this Jodi to come alive on the big screen.
The film is slated to release on May 11.
With these 5 upcoming women-led Bollywood films soon going to hit theatre, which one are you too excited for?
Jyotsna Amla