Bollywood movies having women in lead roles that are a must watch

Indian cinema seldom witnesses women in lead roles. There are a handful of films which has seen women taking charge. However, the films listed below have had women in lead roles, affecting the discourse of the film story. Audiences and the film fraternity is opening up to women in leadership roles in the past few years. Here are some films that are underrated and women-centric and raises issues which have a wide impact. 

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Angry Indian Goddesses, 2015

A group of friends meet in Goa for their friend's same-sex marriage. The movie takes a dark turn when one of the friend is raped and killed during the wedding party. Further, the plot develops as to how women in India suffer through biases of patriarchal mind-set. The movie was released before the abolishment of Section 377. Angry Indian Goddesses addresses the issue of rape, female friendship and same-gender relationship.

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Parched, 2015

Set in a remote village in Rajasthan, the film navigates through the life of four friends. The characters are seen fighting for their place in life. The issues of domestic violence, problems faced by working women in rural areas and patriarchy are faced. A strong storyline of how these four friends set-out for their new life is the core of the plot.

Gulaab Gang, 2014

A film starring two mega-stars Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla addresses the issue of domestic violence that women face and political exploitation. The plot thickens when the female protagonist and antagonist are up in arms against each other. The film was acclaimed for the story which was written by Soumik Sen. It was released back in 2014. 

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Lipstick under my Burkha, 2016

There are rare films which address the concept of women fantasies. Lipstick Under My Burkha is about four women fighting an orthodox norm that women have no sexual desires. The film stirred a lot of controversies but managed to get critical acclaims. The new-age film made sure to get a point across.

Nil Battey Sannata, 2015

Swara Bhaskar, the lone star in the film, managed to justify the storyline. She plays the role of a single mother who has to go back to school to get her daughter educated. She makes sure that her daughter does not have to suffer a similar fate. The Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari film is rather underrated but has a strong storyline to convey.

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