Opinion Journal of Volume 11:7, 2021 Mass Communication & Journalism ISSN: 2165-7912 Open Access The Bollywood’s Way of Reimagining Female Icons and Their Resulting Influence on Gender Imbalance in India Anisha Ray* Assistant professor, Media Science, NSHM Knowledge campus, Kolkata Abstract India as a country has always savoured the sexist commercial Bollywood palette. Everything served in the form of the classic ‘male gaze’ approved and grand musical format has been contributory in setting definite narratives that influence the mass beyond the screening of the film as well. While cinema is an art form that reciprocates to the mass’s demands and desires, the filmmakers in the country have definitely cashed on it on multiple occasions. From the acceptability of secondary position of female to revolutionary outbreak of pitiful acceptability of women in the mainstream men’s world, Bollywood has always set its tone as per the need of the hour, however at the end of the day it has always been a pawn in the game that largely benefits the culturally induced orthodox views about the gender roles and relationship and its resulting gender imbalance in the society. In the recent times, one such raging phenomenon of sorts has been Bollywood’s new found obsession with biopics on iconic women figures like Rani Laxmi Bai to Shakuntala Devi on rather debatable grounds of credibility. The phenomenon is revolutionary as acclaimed by the Industry but it sticks to the basics of stereotypes when it comes to gender role conventions as the tale as old as time. Although, the Bollywood imposed women liberation movement/portrayal have been quite efficient in revoking a certain cultural shift in the current times amidst too much of first world countries imposed globalization and its resulting sexualisation of a gender against the normalization of another, it has also in the same time deferred to a certain plotline that is quite instrumental in creating a unique perspective about women in general .The deteriorating culture that embraces women’s role as a house maker easily camouflages her achievements on grounds of professionalism and beyond . A women’s success has always been made synonymous with the satisfaction of the phallus and the warmth she extends by virtue of her womb and the resulting maternal instinct. The emotional turmoil proceeds over the need for applaud for hardships endured on grounds that are otherwise and beyond the requirement for a happy four walled home. The following research will try to analyse the co relation between Indian commercial cinemas in the arena of biopics made on women icons in Bollywood and its resulting contribution in setting definitive culturally confined gender roles that are biased on arguable stereotypes by taking into account selective cinematic study for the same. Keywords: Gender Imbalance • Icon revolution • Film and feminism • Stereotypes • Biopics • Media narrative Introduction Netflix, Amazon's Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar. And the pandemic, to the growing frustration of cinema owners, has hastened a process that was already under way - the shrinking gap between the small and big screen in Sitting in the eventful year 2020, there is no explanation needed as to why India. For these cinema-bound movies, streaming platforms weren't just the Bollywood constitutes such a large part of Indian economy and cultural only option - they were the obvious choice. (pathi, 2020).The renowned writer representation to the world. Bollywood has its own revelation tactics imbibed Javed Akhtar once said that "The films certainly do reflect what is happening with the tenacity for survival and monopoly. Since Bollywood plays such in society. But they reflect the desires, the hopes, values and traditions. an integral and impactful role, its influence can be analysed from different They are not a real reflection but the dreams of a society. "Growing up in perspectives as well. One such dominant perspective would be the analysis India, I heard terms like “women’s empowerment” or “women advocates”— of Bollywood and its interdependency on idol representation for idealistic descriptors that didn’t carry the negative connotations associated with the content curation. Gender equality and feminism should be made a necessity word “feminism.” Although feminist advocates and scholars have applauded not a luxury as claimed by the few privileged section of the society. The underlying feminist themes in innovative films, some filmmakers and actors reach of Bollywood makes it possible to influence a larger mass and in return with a huge fan base have stated that their films are not feminist. embraces the nuances of society and the changes that come along with it. Bollywood’s revenue is one of the highest and the film is a craft of the twentieth Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra and Lisa Haydon-top Bollywood actresses century whose success model is already accounted for. Bollywood attempts who are global icons with millions of fans—have refused to be identified to speak to the diaspora by conveying a new sense of “Indian-ness,” one that as feminist and shed negative implications on feminism, even though they is less about citizenship and more about imagined identity and community. symbolize strong and independent women on-screen and personally believe Even while the world collapsed and halted amidst a pandemic, Bollywood in empowering girls and women. It’s not that I’m seeking to shame them for found its tunnel that lead to its successful reign and over ruling survival as not wanting the label “feminist” attached to them-but what we can at least a dominant form of entertainment irrespective of the generation it caters to expect them to do is to eradicate myths and negative perceptions of feminism. and the platform it chooses to stream from. It’s been an unusual summer in (bhat, 2019)Despite successful box office collections, critics slammed recent India. Its movie-obsessed millions have had to do without trips to the beloved films Dangal and Pink, in which the male gaze is shown to be instrumental cinema ever since theatres closed in March because of the coronavirus for women’s liberation. “Female empowerment in these films is often just a pandemic. But there’s been some relief for families cooped up indoors as form of male gratification,” critic Laya Maheshwari declared. “There is little streaming platforms stepped up to fill the void. A slew of films have already autonomy or agency on the female’s part; she would be lost if left to her own skipped theatrical releases to slash losses and, instead, hit the small screen. devices. The burden of her improvement and happiness ultimately fall upon More and more A-list actors are now willing to embrace roles on originals by the man’s shoulders. (bhat, 2019). (rammohan, 2018). Bollywood survives on trends and there are almost always phases attached to it, something always seems to work the best, or at the least better than other options. *Address for Correspondence: Anisha Ray, Assistant professor, Media Science, Over the last two years, major production houses like Dharma and Yashraj NSHM Knowledge campus, Kolkata, E-mail: [email protected] have announced big ticket films with our stars, that seem to revolve around Copyright: © 2021 Ray A. This is an open-access article distributed under the historical plots. “Our history is very rich; we have just never delved into that. terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted In the 80’s we were remaking South Indian films and then there was the use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author parallel movement. In the 90’s the love story was born, where Hum Aapke and source are credited. Hain Koun came and everyone made love stories. Then in 2001, cinema Received 05 July 2021; Accepted 18 July 2021; Published 28 July 2021 found a new language with Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai. Then in the 2000’s we Ray A J Mass Communicat Journalism, Volume 11:7, 2021 were trying to do different things, and find our feet. In 2015 post the success trends starting from lifestyle to fashion to eateries and strategic promotions of Baahubali, we discovered the big event film.” Karan Johar, filmmaker. for favoured business on the receiving end. Therefore, Bollywood has (rammohan, 2018). (a march for women,feminism in the last decade: an a resonating effect globally and mostly on the South Asian /Third World interactive, what has been the focus of the feminist movement in the last countries. While selecting a Bollywood film that portrays the recent decadeep, n.d.).With history becoming an integral part of Indian cinematic phenomenon with obsession with female icons that apparently contribute content and its obvious impact when portrayed through Bollywood, its to the growing revolution of equality and cultural gender inclusiveness in an necessary to analyse subjectively, the impact of the same especially when it otherwise conservative and discriminative society, it has been found that concerns female historical icons. Researchers have since long emphasized most of the films are based on unfortunate realistic parameters of female on Bollywood and its critical study, however have ignored the co relation acceptance in a male dominated society .The parameters that have been of the cinema industry with gender revelation and neutrality. Feminist taken into account when it concerns streaming platform has been diversified thought has been around for over a century now, bringing to light the lives for better understanding of the prevailing situation. films have been taken and struggles of women and gender minorities. From the suffragettes of the into account that has been released via theatres and that has been released early 1900s to the #MeToo movement in 2018, feminists have had a very via OTT platforms like amazon prime or Netflix.