REEL WOMEN, REAL STEREOTYPES: ANALYSING GENDER REPRESENTATION IN BOLLYWOOD AND MALAYALAM CINEMA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i13(4ISMER).2025.6084Keywords:
Bollywood Cinema, Malayalam Cinema, Indian Cinema, Feminism in Cinema, Women in Cinema, Movie Analysis, Common Stereotypes, Patriarchy in Cinema, Female Archetypes, Gender NarrativesAbstract [English]
Cinema is a powerful medium through which society is shaped and reshaped. They reflect and reinforce prevailing cultural values. In Indian cinema, the portrayal of women has largely conformed to stereotypes that limit the female protagonist to the role of the devoted mother, the self-sacrificing wife or the object of male desire. In mainstream cinema, Bollywood dominates the discussion, but Malayalam cinemas have also contributed to these portrayals. These portrayals challenge or reinforce stereotypes.
This paper will look at the stereotypical portrayal of women in Indian cinema to see how films create and reinforce gender roles over time. Through the study of common female archetypes, this paper will show how Indian films have often reduced women to objects of male desire, and how Indian films have suppressed women’s agency in favor of patriarchal narratives. This paper will also look at how globalization, feminism and changing social attitudes have affected the portrayal of women in cinema today, and will examine how Bollywood and Malayalam films, differ in their portrayals of women. By analyzing Bollywood and Malayalam films, this paper will look at how gender stereotypes differ across languages and cultures.
By critically examining film stories, characters, and industry practices, this study seeks to uncover the historical context, cultural significance, and shifting trends in the representation of women in Indian cinema. And hence, the study contributes to the growing discussion on gender representation in cinema by calling for a more nuanced and various representation of women on screen.
Downloads
References
Ashokan, M. (Director). (2019). Uyare. SCube Films.
Baby, J. (Director). (2021). The Great Indian Kitchen [Motion picture]. Cinema Cooks.
Bahl, V. (Director). (2014). Queen. Phantom Films.
Barjatya, S. (Director). (1994). Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! . Rajshri Productions.
Butalia, U. (2002). Speaking Peace: Women's Voices from Kashmir. Zubaan.
Chopra, Y. (Director). (1975). Deewar. Trimurti Films.
Ghosh, S. (Director). (2012). Kahaani. Boundscript Motion Pictures.
Gokulsing, K. M., & Dissanayake, W. (2004). Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change (2nd ed.). Trentham Books.
Gulzar, M. (Director). (2018). Raazi. Junglee Pictures.
Khan, M. (2018). The Portrayal of Women in Bollywood : A Brief History. Journal of Gender Studies, 27(6), 673–685. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2017.1301812 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2017.1301812
Khan, M. (Director). (1957). Mother India . Mehboob Productions.
Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6
Nair, P. (2020). Feminist Perspectives in Malayalam Cinema: A Case Study of The Great Indian Kitchen. South Asian Cinema Journal, 14(2), 89–101.
Sinha, A. (Director). (2020). Thappad . Benaras Media Works.
Virdi, J. (2003). The Cinematic Imagination : Indian Popular Films As Social History. Rutgers University Press.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Devi Mohan V, Dr. Balakrishnan K
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
