Modern Day Cinderellas Raise Tough Questions and Seek Change from Society

They say cinema mirrors the society – It’s true, as the society changes, the film narratives are also changing, bringing woman at the forefront. Today, a woman no longer yearns for her prince charming to rescue her, she takes the matter in her own hands. The modern day Cinderella is a dreamer, a rebel and a change seeker.

In this series, a partnership between SheThePeople and Amazon Prime Video, we bring you four women - India's Cinderellas-whose journeys have been inspirational and they have risen to become achievers in their own field against all odds.

Faye D Souza, Journalist

Faye DSouza is changing journalism in the world of social media. With her Instagram channel, she is experimenting with media and how people consume news these days. In our conversation with her, she says "girls should be stubborn, not sushil". Women are often expected to be 'sushil' or 'nice natured'.

From leaving a dream job to setting up her business successfully, Faye is focussed on going for her goals and achieving them, on her own terms.

Supriya Joshi, Comedy

From being bullied to taking the centre stage, Supriya Joshi's story is an inspirational one. She was questioned about her weight, and shamed for being big. Some people even tried to dim her shine. Joshi followed her desire to be a comic and took on every opportunity head on. She was clear, that people's perception of who she was and how she 'should' be didn't matter.

Neharika Yadav, Superbiker

Dentist and India's fastest Lady Superbiker, Dr. Neharika Yadav's journey truly makes her a modern Day Cinderella. Making a name in a male dominated field along with being a full time dentist, she's given her all to build the life of her dreams. Yadav regularly practises at the circuit zone in the National Capital Region. She has been biking for over six years now and feels that's what keeps her motivated. "It's an equal race, my gender doesn't define me," Yadav says.

Dutee Chand, Athlete

Today, a woman no longer yearns for her prince charming to rescue her, she takes the matter in her own hands. Meet one such woman, Dutee Chand who was told she'd bring shame to her school but instead she made the whole country proud by becoming the first Indian sprinter to win gold at the Universiade. She is the rebel dreamer.

Her journey as an athlete is one of big struggle but she rose to national achievements with hard work and didn't let any opportunity go wasted.

Cinderella is a fairy-tale that has been subjected to numerous adaptations and interpretations over the last few centuries. However, in most of its versions, we that see Cinderella is always dependant on a prince charming to rescue her from her circumstances. In 2021, it is time for Cinderella to take charge of her own destiny and write her own story. She no longer waits for a prince charming but rescues herself, and if any man is willing to be an equal partner during this journey, he is more than welcome. This is why SheThePeople and Amazon Prime Video have joined forces to spotlight India's Cinderellas so that we can break stereotypes and usher in a new narrative, a fresh perspective to an old story.