Jhimma, Sinjar, Uyare And More: 21 Regional Films Every Feminist Should Watch

We often limit our acknowledgement of Indian cinema to Bollywood, but over the years, regional filmmakers have proved that they have to potential to exceed imagination and execution standards set by Hindi filmmakers. It is no wonder that year after year, we see so many regional films being remade in Hindi. However, regional films do not just appeal to the masses. They have more to them than entertainers like Pushpa: The Rise or Vikram Vedha. Infact, there are numerous regional movies that champion the cause of equality and showcase women-centric issues that are commonplace in our society.

Regional cinema has produced many gems of film that understands women, the complexities of their lives. Films like Super Deluxe, Village Rockstars explore subjects that mainstream filmmakers of Bollywood would not explore.

Here’s a list of 21 regional films on feminism that should be on your watchlist:

Jhimma (Marathi)

Credit: YouTube screengrab

The 2021 release has an ensemble cast featuring talented actors from Marathi film Industry like Kshiti Jog, Suchitra Bandekar, Sonalee Kulkarni among others. The film is about seven women from different age groups and socio-cultural backgrounds who go on a planned tour of Britain. During the course of the trip, each woman faces her fears and release the baggage she had held on to long. They make peace with the broken pieces of their heart and fall in love with life all over again. The film is streaming on Prime Video.

The Great Indian Kitchen (Malayalam)

After marriage, a woman (Nimisha Sajayan) struggles to be the submissive wife that her husband (Suraj Venjaramoodu) and his family expect her to be. Written and directed by Jeo Baby, the film follows the story of this newly married woman adapting to her husband and his family’s needs. But it does not last long as she walks out of the marriage and starts life anew. The film, when it first came out in 2021, was hailed by critics and audiences alike for the insightful message the film carries. The film won four awards at Kerala State Film Awards. The Great Indian Kitchen is available on Prime Video.

Nude (Marathi)

The 2018 Marathi film starring Kalyanee Mule, Chhaya Kadam, Kishor Kadam and Naseeruddin Shah (Cameo) revolves around the life of a woman named Yamuna. After her husband abandons her and their child, she goes to Mumbai looking for a job to sustain and later joins a college as a nude portrait model. She is happy with the job since it funds her son’s education but a controversy erupts over a nude painting featuring her by a famous artist. Yamuna resumes her work in spite of the protests she faces. Although the Ravi Jadhav directorial has a poignant ending, the film gives out a strong message about how society keeps claiming agency over a woman’s body and Yamuna’s fight to reclaim the agency feels liberating. The feminism in the film is subtle yet it hits you. Nude is available on Zee5.

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Uyare (Malayalam)

The 2019 film starred Parvathy Thiruvothu, Asif Ali and Tovino Thomas in lead roles. The film revolves around Pallavi (Parvathy) who aspires to become a pilot. Her busy schedule at her institution in Mumbai causes clashes with her partner Govind (Ali) who throws acid at her in a fit of rage. As a consequence, her license is revoked. After a turn of events, with Vishal’s (Tovino) help, Pallavi is able to work as a cabin crew. But things go south when Govind reappears in her life. The Manu Ashokan film, upon its release, received widespread critical acclaim and was a major box office success of the year in Malayalam. You can watch Uyare on Netflix.

Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi)

The Marathi biographical film is based on the life of late activist and social worker Sindhutai Sapkal. The Ananth Mahadevan film on the Padma Shri recipient was released in 2010 and received four National Awards. Sindhutai, fondly called Maai, was born in Wardha into a cattle-grazing family; she was then married off to a man much older than her. However, he went on to abandon her accusing her of infidelity. In spite of the situations, she was dealt with, Sapkal braved it all. The film on Maai's life ends with her in San Jose raising funds for her orphanage that provides shelter to homeless children even today. The film starring Tejaswini Pandit, Jyoti Chandekar is available on Prime Video.

Shuddhi (Kannada)

Directed by Aadarsh Eshwarappa, Shuddhi is a thriller that revolves around the lives of three women, who are on separate but interconnected journeys. Karlyn is an American photojournalist, who is on a secret mission in Bengaluru. Jyothi and Divya, are journalists fighting against the leniency of the Juvenile Justice Act. On the other side, the police are chasing a criminal. The knots untangle when the stories intersect. The 2017 thriller received a positive reception when it was first released and then garnered more attention when it was brought on OTT Platform Netflix in the subsequent year.

Mahanati (Telugu)

Mahanati (The Greatest Actor) is a Telugu biographical drama based on the life of yesteryear actor Savitri who acted in numerous South Indian films. The film’s ensemble cast—Keerthy Suresh (Savitri), Dulquer Salmaan (Gemini Ganesan), Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vijay Deverkonda, Prakash Raj and others—put up spectacular performances. Written and directed by Nag Ashwin, the film begins with Savitri’s hospitalisation and slowly unravels her life and her eventual tragic end. The film won three National Awards as well. You can watch the film out on Amazon Prime.

Sinjar (Jassari Malayalam)

Credit: YouTube screengrab

Sinjar is a Jassari Malayalam film that was written and directed by Pampally. Jassari is a dialect of Malayalam that is spoken on the Union Territory Lakshadweep. The film has a very poignant plot that follows the lives of islander Ansar, his sister Suhara and his fiancé Fida and how their lives change because of one incident. Many women like Suhara and Fida who had gone abroad for work were held hostage by ISIS and the Ministry of External Affairs rescues these women. However, it is revealed in the media that these women were allegedly raped which makes Ansar cast doubts over his fiancé. After a string of events, he learns his fiancé is pregnant and decides to call off the wedding when his sister reveals that she was a victim too. While Ansar is in a dilemma, Fida decides to raise the child alone. Sinjar received a National Award in 2018. It was also given Indira Gandhi Awards for Best Debut Film Director as it was Pampally’s first film. The film is not available on any OTT platform.

Imago (Marathi)

The plot of the film Imago follows Namrata, an introverted teen who suffers from vitiligo. The white spots on her brown skin often draw unwanted attention to her with many giving her weird, sympathetic, penetrating glances that make her feel guilty and uncomfortable in her own skin. Things change with the arrival of a young teacher (Amol Deshmukh) and in his liberating gaze, Namrata finds solace. The men behind the film: Karan Chavan and Vikram Patil—who have written and directed the movie—skillfully translate the inner conflicts, complexities of issues as such in stunning visuals. The film is streaming on Netflix.

Bulbul Can Sing (Assamese)

Bulbul Can Sing follows the story of Bulbul (Arnali Das) and her best friend Bonnie (Banita Thakuriya) as they explore their budding sexuality, moving towards their tumultuous teen years. Meanwhile, their closeted friend Suman or Summu is constantly subjected to abuse and taunts. Things go south for the three musketeers when the moral custodians of the small Assamese village they live in discover them exploring their sexuality. The film’s lead still conjures strength to emerge from what they are subjected to. The Rima Das film won a National Award for the best feature film in Assamese. The film is streaming on Netflix and YouTube.

Kanooru Heggadithi (Kannada)

A still from Kanooru Heggadithi

Kanooru Heggadithi is a 1999 film, directed by the late Girish Karnad who also appears in the film. The movie is based on renowned Kannada author Kuvempu’s 1936 novel Kanooru Subbamma Heggadithi. The story is set in pre-independence Malnadu and follows the life of a feudal family. Subamma (Tara), the third wife of Chandre Gowda (Karnad) is a rebel and instigates acts of defiance among women around her. After her husband’s death, she uses the authority she has to avenge wrongs women were subjected to, which eventually harms her standing and she is replaced by someone else. Kuvempu, in his novel, captured the complexities of what it meant to be a woman and Karnad very skilfully gives it a visual touch. The film also won National Award in the year 2000. You can watch this film on VOOT Select.

Benkiyalli Aralida Hoovu (Kannada)

This 2020 Kannada film stars Anupama Gowda in the lead role. The ">film revolves around the life of a working-class woman who is struggling to make ends meet because her husband—who is a rickshaw driver and an alcoholic. She takes up work at a garment factory to sustain the family and also fund her ill daughter’s medical bills. The film shows her struggle as she handles the problems and also society’s thoughts that often limit a woman. The Devi Shri Prasad directorial is available on Jio Cinema, Eros Now and Sun Next platforms.

Bucket List (Marathi)

Madhuri Dixit Nene, Sumeet Raghavan starrer Bucket List is a Marathi film that revolves around a homemaker Madhura (Dixit) who undergoes a heart transplant. She feels obliged to show her gratitude, once she learns that the donor was a 20-year-old girl named Sai. When she learns more about the young woman, it inspires Madhura to fulfil Sai's “bucket list” that she wanted to complete before turning 21 but was unable to do so. While ticking off things from Sai’s bucket list, Madhura finds a new lease and learns to put herself above her family for a change. The Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar directorial is available on Netflix.

Suggested Reading: Twelve Underrated Women Centered Films That You Must Put On Your Watch List

Aamhi Doghi (Marathi)

Starring Priya Bapat and Mukta Barve, the Marathi flick revolves around Savitri or Savi (Bapat) and Amla or Ammi (Barve) who are women of contrasting personalities tied together in a relationship of being a step-mother and daughter after Savi’s father married Amla. Despite being upset, Savi tries to forge a genial relationship with Amla. They have different experiences in life and use them to teach each other how to navigate through emotions and relationships. The 2018 drama directed by Pratima Joshi is available Amazon Prime.

Anandi Gopal (Marathi)

Another biographical flick based on one of the first female doctors (physicians) in India, Anandi Gopal stars Bhagyashree Milind, Kshiti Jog and Lalit Prabhakar in lead. Anandi Gopal Joshi is married to a widower 20 years her senior at a very young age. Gopalrao Joshi is a man with progressive thoughts and encourages Anandi to study when she expresses her desire to become a doctor when their newborn son passes away due to lack of medical care. The film follows Anandi’s journey of becoming a doctor and how Gopalrao stays by her side throughout her journey encouraging her. The Sameer Vidhwans directorial received a lot of positive responses after its release with many calling it a “must-watch”. You can stream the film on Zee5.

Parama (Bengali)

Starring veteran actor Rakhee, the Aparna Sen directorial is about a woman Parama (Rakhee) whose identity is limited to the relationships she has with others. The homemaker however seeks her own identity. A chance encounter with a photojournalist changes everything for her. As the photojournalist keeps shooting her while she performs her chores, she starts falling in love with the man who is much younger than her. Parama can be viewed on YouTube.

Ghare Baire (Bengali)

Directed by Satyajit Ray, Ghare Baire is based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore. The film revolves around Nikhilesh (Victor Banerjee), Bimala (Swatilekha) and Sandip (Soumitra Chatterjee) and how they get entangled in a love triangle. Superficially, it appears to be a love triangle but once a person delves deeper into the film, they’d realise that it speaks volumes about women’s position in society which was grappling with Westernisation, the Swadeshi movement, India’s freedom. The story, in a sense, speaks about both how India and Indian women express individuality and freedom, both inside and outside the home. The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime. No doubt this film won National Awards and also was presented at Cannes Film Festival.

Oh! Baby (Telugu)

Nandini Reddy’s Oh! Baby starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu is a Telugu remake of a Korean film, Miss Granny. The film revolves around 70-year-old Savitri who is on bad terms with her daughter-in-law. Dejected when she learns she was the reason for her daughter-in-law's ill health, she leaves her home. Things change at a photo booth where she suddenly gets the physical appearance of her 24-year-old. She assumes the alias Swati and goes around the town. As Swati, she gets to see how geriatric women become the carriers of patriarchy and how vicious it is. It is a pleasant surprise to see that the film does not cater to the male gaze; it only shows Savitri alias Swati being her goofy self. The film is available on Netflix.

Suggested Reading: A Woman’s ‘Good News’ Isn’t Always Baby Or Wedding.

Hellaro (Gujarati)

A still from Hellaro

Hellaro (The outburst) is a 2019 Gujarati period drama film co-written and directed by Abhishek Shah. Starring Jayesh More, Shraddha Dangar, Brinda Trivedi Nayak and others, the film is set in the 1970s in Kutch and revolves around women of a remote village in the Rann of Kutch where it has not rained for ages. The women in the village have been forbidden from playing Garba (folk dance). Once while fetching water, they come across an unconscious musician to whom they tend. He plays music for them and the women play Garba for the first time, becoming a daily ritual. The drummer eventually finds shelter in their village, where he plays music for the women in the daytime and for men at night. The women are subject to abuse after they are spotted dancing by the villagers and later that night, they assemble to play Garba as an act of defiance. The women brake the barriers placed by the patriarchs in the village with this simple act of defiance which is rewarded by nature in the climax. The National Award-winning film is streaming on MX Player.

C/o Kancharapalem (Telugu)

Directed by debutant Venkatesh Maha, the film is set in a small town called Kancharapalem near Vizag. The anthology film focuses on four couples in the town who cross barriers of age, caste, religion and class. The film shows how life and time are significant for these four couples who break social norms for the sake of love. The film stars 80 natives of the Kancharapalem town and was lauded for its sincere and simplistic storytelling. The film does not perpetrate any stereotypical portrayal of community-specific stories, instead amplifies the unheard regional voices including that of the women which earn it a position of a feminist film. The film is available on all major OTT platforms.

Saanjh (Pahari)

Dubbed as the first Pahari language film, Saanjh revolves around a 16-year-old girl by the same name who is sent to a remote village in Himachal Pradesh, away from her city life after she falls prey to a cyber-crime. Isolated and dejected, Sanju is unable to cope with the village life where she encounters an imbecile house guest, Jonga. Although the two start off on bad terms, they become friends and she finds solace in his company. Sanju gradually begins to understand her grandmother's grief about living a secluded life and they bond over being ostracised by the man who failed to be a good son and father at the same time.  Through this film, director Ajay Saklani attempts to bring to the fore the lesser-known language of the Western Himachal/Pahari language and tries to revive the almost forgotten Tankri script. You can watch the film on Jio Cinema or Amazon Prime.