
As a person who enjoys Bollywood movies now and then, I’ve noticed a recurring issue: how gender stereotyping is done, and it is done so subtly that we do not even notice it. Though some movies are improving, many of them still introduce a stereotypical and sexist image of a man or a woman.
Damsel in Distress
There is one stereotype which is hard to overlook, which is the stereotype of women as submissive or powerless. In Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Kajol’s Simran is waiting for her father's approval to marry Raj. Even though the female protagonist is assertive, she has no control over what happens to her in the future. Even today, there is a concept in Bollywood where women are expected to sit at home and wait for a man to come and take her away. Another recent example is Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), in which the feminine character Taani requires her husband to give her ‘feel something.’
Men in an aggressive role
On the other hand, men are often portrayed as ‘toxic’ and ‘aggressive’ like in Kabir Singh; toxicity and possessiveness are framed as signs of love. He also controls Preeti, his partner, and even slaps her once; however, this is endorsed because the man is ‘passionate’. Such a show of toxic culture being glorified can have
Women as objects of desire
Eye candy
‘Eye candy’ is another stereotype lingering in the shadows hit Bollywood cinema. In the case of Housefull (2010) or Dabangg (2010), for example, female roles exist mainly to look gorgeous and fulfil the storyline of the male hero. Their own stories rarely come on the main stage, and seldom have we seen them. Instead, they are immensely objectified, leading to the perception that their worth is linked to their attractiveness.
Is it changing?
Thankfully, Bollywood is evolving towards a direction that goes against these stereotypes. We can watch movies like Queen (2013) and Tumhari Sulu (2017). The female leads in these movies appear to be accurate, independent and, most importantly, flawed, which helps viewers relate to the character slightly more. The movie Sullu is an interesting example because the main character starts living a life out of a Radio Jockey career, opposing the housewife stereotype.
As much as we are enthusiastic about the media coming out from Bollywood, we cannot ignore the perpetuated gender stereotype in these movies. While we can see progress, there is still a long way to go because these stereotypes exist. The best part is that the audience can control the shift according to the demands we create. So positive measures can be taken through awareness and change in demand.
The shift towards breaking gender stereotypes in Bollywood is further exemplified in films like Thappad (2020), which tackles the normalization of domestic violence, and Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016), which portrays women’s sexual desires and personal aspirations in a conservative society. Moreover, Bollywood’s depiction of men is also beginning to shift, as seen in Dear Zindagi (2016), where the male lead (played by Shah Rukh Khan) provides emotional support without falling into the aggressive, toxic male stereotype. These shifts indicate a growing awareness in Bollywood to challenge conventional gender norms, though a full transformation will take time.
Reading this genuinely made me rethink how I perceive a lot of my favorite films and dramas! I think the perpetual narratives of a dominant, aggressive man and a submissive, physically attractive woman in these movies have become increasingly prominent overtime. But you have dissected this stereotyping very thoroughly. In particular, out of the stereotypes that you have targeted, the one that sticks out most for me is about women in submissive roles. It probes me further to think about the level of agency that female characters usually exhibit not just in Bollywood movies/dramas but media forms in the Pakistani context too. For instance, “Khuda aur Mohabat” or “Hum kahan kei sachay thay” are dramas where actresses Iqra Aziz and…
This blog highlights gender stereotyping in Bollywood movies by providing a compelling critique of recurring themes in these movies. It highlights that movies we all enjoyed as kids have had these themes of gender stereotyping which are brought to our attention now.
The stereotypes present in such movies can have significant implications for societal and gender norms. By showing women as submissive or objectified and men as aggressive or possessive, these films can engrave harmful notions about masculinity and femininity, impacting how individuals view and understand their roles from a young age.
By analyzing and adding a discussion of how intersectionality affects the portrayal of gender by exploring how class or sexuality intersect with gender stereotypes, could provide a deeper…
I have seen this movie a lot of my times with my family and it has always been a favourite since childhood but as we analyse it more carefully with the perspective of media, gender and education in particular, the role of man as powerful, aggressive who tend to keep his male ego on the upper level is so bizzare.
you do an impressive job of critically engaging with gender stereotypes in Bollywood films, shedding light on how these portrayals have persisted over time. Your examples from films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kabir Singh highlight a deeply ingrained pattern in which women are often depicted as submissive or powerless, while men embody toxic masculinity, yet are glorified for it. The analysis of "eye candy" roles in movies such as Housefull and Dabangg further demonstrates how Bollywood has historically objectified women, reducing their worth to mere physical appearance. Your point about female characters being sidelined in favor of male narratives is particularly relevant, as it echoes Laura Mulvey’s "male gaze" theory, which suggests that mainstream cinema frames women from a heterosexual, male perspective,…