Bollywood Movies That Promote Female Friendships

Ever since the beginning of time, female friendships have been viewed as difficult to handle. We have films showing bromance. But, not many filmmakers have discovered female bonds on screen in Bollywood.

Contrary to the popular belief that women are women's worst enemy, Bollywood is stepping ahead and making movies that celebrate female friendships. Amidst all the bromance and bro-code celebrating movies, below are some movies that celebrate the wonderful spirit of female friendships.

1. Queen

There’s no movie that is as empowering as Queen. When the love of her left her all alone on the crossroads, Rani (Kangana) met Vijaylaxmi (Lisa Haydon). Rani found her solace in Vijaylaxmi aka Vijay. The camaderie between the two females is heartwarming.

The scene where Vijaylaxmi (Lisa Haydon) says 'Vijay nai to kya hua, Vijaylaxmi to hai' shows the strong bond of the females

Vijay helps Rani feel good about herself. This movie gives a strong message to all of us: You don’t always need a man. A man may come and go, but a girlfriend is forever.

2. Veere Di Wedding

The recently released movie is a story of four girls. Despite different family backgrounds, and facing different issues, they are fast friends. The story revolves around the commitment-phobic Kalindi Puri's (Kareena Kapoor) big fat Punjabi wedding. Her friends Avni (Sonam Kapoor), Sakshi (Swara Bhaskar) and Meera (Shikha Talsania) join her and the gang reunites after 10 years. It is a film that celebrates the friendship and lives of four leads. The movie reflects how the protagonists understand the value of their friendship and undergo a journey towards self-discovery. The movie gives all of us some major friendship goals.

Also: Veers and Veeres- The Special Nature Of Female Friendship

3. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Naina and Aditi are the new-age girlfriends. These two ladies meet at a shopping mall and then choose to stick with each other for a lifetime. Both of them have opposite natures, but, later develop a strong and deep bond. Even when everything goes wrong between Naina and Bunny, the bond of Naina and Aditi keeps on growing. The movie underlines the message of valuing your friends.

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4. Ayesha

In every possible manner, the movie questioned “Why should boys have all the fun?”. Sonam Kapoor and Ira Dubey portraying the character of Aisha and Pinky from Jane Austen's novel "Emma" give us a very real insight into friendship. The girls sang, shopped, did rafting trips, makeup, and stayed by each other forever. However, at the end of every up and down, they were there for each other. It gave us a message that even after ups and down, our bestie is the one who will always be there for us.

5. Pink

The list would be incomplete if we don’t include Pink in it. Three friends -- Minal Arora, Falak and Andrea -- stand by each other. Together, they faced the circumstances life throws at them because they all believe in each other. In a scene where Minal Arora (Taapsee Pannu) is being taken to jail, her friends stand by her, giving each other rock-solid support.

Also: Bollywood Men Who Are True Feminist Icons

6. Lipstick Under My Burkha

Lipstick Under My Burkha was one of the most controversial films of the year 2017. The main focus of the film is that women face the judgment of society. However, the film gives a strong message that they are strong and are not broken by the judgemental and patriarchal society. They don’t give up their hopes. The movie breaks the misconception that men are the mere existence for women.

Living their regular lives with some extraordinary secrets, a lot of women can relate to the life of the four: Usha (Ratna Pathak Shah),  Shireen (konkana Sen Sharma), Leela (Aahana Kumra) and Rehaana (Plabita Borthakur). The beauty of the film is reflected in a lot of scenes. In one scene where Usha runs into a swimsuit store and runs into Shireen. Shireen tries to cover it up, but later buys that swimsuit for her. The film shows that patriarchy still exists in India. The women bond and create a space where they can celebrate themselves and their desires.

7. Parched

Parched, an award-winning movie by Leena Yadav celebrated the power of women’s friendship. It is the story of three women — Bijli (Surveen), Lajo (Radhika) and Rani (Tannisththa) who reside in a patriarchial village in Rajasthan. The story revolves around how the three women battle everything from patriarchy to baseless traditions and end up being saviours for each other. This sole Indian movie is based on a typical Indian village in a rural environment. The trio showcases the bond of sisterhood.

8. Angry Indian Goddess

The gang of seven is truly giving us some major friendship goals. This was the first ever movie that was made on an all-female gang. The movie centers around the get-together of the females for one friend’s marriage. The gang manages to rekindle the beautiful friendship. They not only spend time together, the girl gang even take revenge for each other. What makes the movie stand apart is the realistic situations in the movie and also the petty little conversations on topics like sex, love, life and the things that truly matter. The movie inspires us to break the notion of women being jealous and envious of each other. The all-female gang gives us a strong message that girls are not competitors. They are the ones supporting each other through thick and thin.

Also Read: Will Ocean’s 8 Give Con Films A New Female Perspective?

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Deepali Is An Intern With SheThePeople.TV