Indian Survey Shows Only 10 Percent Of Writing And Directing Jobs Are Held By Women

In Indian cinema, the construction and design of films, plays, and television programmes are always done from a male point of view. This gender exclusion has an effect on how women are represented in the industry both on and off-screen since it is a fact that rules and determines our sensibility. In films and series that are streamed online in 2021, Indian women hold over 10% of industry roles, including editing, directing, writing, design, and cinematography. This implies that women's tales are disembodied, presented on screen by individuals with structural advantage, and portrayed in a way that objectifies and caricatures actual experiences.

Women In Indian Cinema

A new analysis by O Womaniya! examined both on-and-off screen participation of women in movies and streaming series. Nearly 150 movies and TV shows from eight different languages that were released in theatres and on streaming services in 2021 comprised the study's sample. These include Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. One significant statistic that stands out is the absence of any female directors or editors among the 56 theatrical films examined in 2021. This is consistent with a larger cultural misconception and mistrust of women in high-stress situations; limiting notions like "women can't handle the strain" or "aren't cut out" for the gritty world of filmmaking impede access and mobility in a male-dominated business.

The lack of representation is attributed to a lack of female talent, which is supported by these arguments and other unfounded assumptions. Because there aren't any talented women, there aren't any female directors. There isn't even a shred of truth in this; it's the same flimsy justification that keeps women out of professions like science and technology. However, the absence of representation does influence the level of independence that women desire.

A dearth of women in leadership roles in the industry eventually leads to a lack of representation on television. The character, the narrative they represent, and the freedom they have to communicate, engage, and navigate fictitious worlds are all examples of representation. According to the current statistics discovered by The Swaddle, women only had 25% of the talking time in the promotional trailers that were published in 2021. The Bechdel Test was even used by the researchers as a gauge of gender representation. It has three requirements: at least two female characters must interact with one another and discuss a subject other than men. Only 55% of the online series and movies surveyed passed the exam.

The results don't differ all that much from those of a previous, thorough study done in 2014. Female characters made up only 24.9% of all Indian films, according to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Even more startling, none of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2014 featured female protagonists or co-leads.

Suggested Reading: Women Film Directors To Watch Out For In 2020

Progressive portrayals in films and television shows can then have a big impact in the real world, according to a study. The 2014 study also revealed that the participants felt that "observing" women in professional professions improved perceptions of female education in the nation. Appreciating films starring Priyanka Chopra and Rani Mukerji, such as Mary Kom, one of the attendees commented how they encourage females to be strong and constantly tackle the problems in life. When the characters in our stories change, our storylines also do.