Represent: 7 Female Characters That Are Headlining OTT

OTT platforms have taken the world of entertainment by storm, especially after the pandemic hit in 2020. The industry flipped a hundred and eighty degrees soon after. OTT platforms, with their niche audience, ensured the kind of content they pushed targeted a younger, more dynamic audience.

With that in mind, several series and films that made their way to people's screens featured far stronger, more resilient and open-minded women characters. Here are the top seven picks.

Strong Female Characters On OTT 

Tara Khanna, Made In Heaven, Amazon Prime

Tara Khanna, played by Sobhita Dhulipala, is one of the most nuanced female characters to have ever been created in the entertainment industry of India. She is trapped in a maze of deceit, ambition, political scheming, and greed. Success, esteem, and wealth are the most valuable things in Tara's universe while love, family and ethics take a backseat. She is the grey character that we all need.

Anjali Bhati, Dahaad, Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime's psychological thriller highlights several issues including but not limited to caste discrimination, dowry, women ageing and the pressure of marriage, girl education and pre-marital sex. Defying all is the character of Sonakshi Sinha, Sub-Inspector Anjali Bhati leading the investigation of the serial killings. 

Gia Singh, Blind, Jio Cinema

In yet another psychological thriller, Gia Singh, played by Sonam Kapoor, is a police officer in Glasgow who was rendered blind in an accident. Despite losing her eyesight, Gia's courage and her skills to recognise people with the help of other senses win her a place in the list of women that inspire.

Savitri, Saas Bahu Flamingo, Disney+ Hotstar

Savitri (Dimple Kapadia), also known as Rani Baa, is the matriarch of 'Rani Cooperative'. She runs a drug cartel with her army of women which expands internationally. After her husband's death, she takes up her responsibility, relying solely on herself, making her the role model in a society dominated by men.

Noyonika Sengupta, The Trial, Disney+ Hotstar

Kajol makes a comeback to the world of entertainment with The Indian adaptation of The Good Wife, 'The Trial- Pyaar Kaanoon Dhokha'. After her husband is sent to prison in a sex scandal, Noyonika takes up the role of the provider for her two daughters as well as herself. She takes up a job with the top law firm as a junior lawyer and climbs the ladder of success, one case at a time.

Hemlata Dholakia, Happy Family, Amazon Prime

Ratna Pathak Shah's Hemlata Dholakia is the matriarch of the family. She is an unconventional mother-in-law and grandmother. She has a lot of disagreeable qualities. She isn't soft or polite, but she still has a mass appeal. She stands up for her granddaughter who's body-shamed by a prospective groom. She supports her granddaughter-in-law in her pursuit of a career in fashion design. She is not your usual orthodox grandmother. 

Lipika Saikia Rao, The Night Manager

With each offbeat role, she has done on screen, famed actress Tillotama Shome has shattered the mould. Following suit, she plays a RAW agent Lipika Saikia Rao in Disney+ Hotstar’s spy thriller series The Night Manager. She's pregnant when she spies on the arms dealer Shailendra Rungta, played by Anil Kapoor. Women can do it all. Lipika is proof of it.

Though the narrative of women in the landscape of Indian cinema has changed drastically, there's still a long way to go. We still need women who feel more real, that don't put on make-up to the office every day, and that fight to work every day. Women that show it is still an extremely difficult world out there for a  lady.

Suggested reading: Humour As Power: 5 South Indian Female Influencers Redefining Reel Comedy