Women’s Day: From Acting To Directing, Women Have Made Their Special Place In The Film World

Not only acting, writing or directing, now women have strengthened their place in every field of cinema. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we explored the struggle and aspirations of women in the film industry and their self-respect.

The presence of women behind the camera started before independence, when Fatima Begum started working in films. She is considered to be the first producer-director. This was the period when heroines were not available for films. Only men used to work in films wearing women’s clothes. After making a name for herself in Urdu theatre, Fatima Begum played the main character in Ardeshir Irani’s film ‘Veer Abhimanyu’ in the year 1922. Within a few years, she started her own production company, which was first known as Fatima Films and then Victoria Fatima Films.

She also directed the film ‘Bulbul-e-Paristan’ in the year 1926. Nargis Dutt’s mother Jaddanbai was the first female musician to have composed music for ‘Talaash-e-Haq’. Along with producing this film, she also acted in the film. At the same time, BR Vijayalakshmi is mentioned as the first female cinematographer, who is not only from India, Rather, she has been the first cinematographer of Asia. she took charge of the camera in the year 1980 and made her debut in a Tamil film starring Ashok Kumar. How could Devika Rani not be mentioned in all this? Devika opened the way for other actresses by coming in front of the camera. She was also called the Dragon Lady because of her hot temper. She worked to take Indian cinema to the global level. Devika played the character of a Dalit girl in the film ‘Achhut Kanya’ released in the year 1936. After this film, she was given the title of First Lady of Indian Screen. She started Bombay Talkies Studio along with her husband Himanshu Rai. The credit for bringing actor Dilip Kumar into the film industry goes to Devika Rani.

After this, there were many such actresses including Nargis Dutt, Hema Malini, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, who showed the courage to work in female-oriented films in the era when the hero used to dominate the box. Opportunities will increase if I get equal status: Reema Kagti, director of films like ‘Talaash’ and ‘Gold’, says that when my film ‘Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd’ was released, a woman journalist told me about the presence of women in direction. Called several times to talk about female directors. I told her why don’t you talk to someone else. Then her reply was that Meghna Gulzar has gone abroad and Farah Khan is not taking my call. There were not many female directors at that time. Now the girls are coming behind the camera also, in the technicians, construction, lighting departments. This number will only increase in the coming days, When parents will provide their daughters with equal opportunities. The market for women-centric films is not huge, but now with films like ‘Raazi’, ‘Veere Di Wedding’, a change is taking place.

Stories are not bound by gender, author Juhi Chaturvedi, who has written out-of-the-box stories like ‘Vicky Donor’ and ‘Piku’, says that whether the story is written by a man or a woman, I do not think it should be the point to adopt a story. You read the story, then judge. As good as a male writer can write female characters, a female writer can write equally good male characters. What difference does gender make? The producers and directors have also become wiser. Nothing is more important to them than the story. It is enough for the writer to be sensitive. The story is also not bound by gender. Our mature family is made up of most of the siblings, parents living in it. It is important to write every character with the same truthfulness.

Choreographer and director Farah Khan has given an actress like Deepika Padukone to the film industry. Apart from choreographing many songs, she has also directed the films ‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Main Hoon Na’. Farah Khan says that next year I will be working in this industry for 30 years. I am still relevant. People want me to make films. I was not an actress who could be tied in age. Now actresses like Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa Shetty, Kajol, Tabu are working again. Now digital platforms have changed the whole game. Everyone has work because of the content. I am a technician, will work till the age of 80. Every day I want to do something new.

Performing action, riding bikes, jumping from heights, designing stunt scenes was previously considered the domain of men, but many stunt women have made a strong presence in this field too. Shooting 30 feet in the water in ‘The Empire’ or jumping into the water in the film ‘Grehayaan’, stunt woman Sanobar Pardiwala has masterfully designed it. She says the stunt has nothing to do with gender. This work is related to science and fitness. How physically possible is that stunt, where is the cable work, if you drop the actor from how much height, then you will get a closeup shot, if these things are not understood then accidents can happen. Early in my career, in a stunt scene, I had to ride a bike and jump on a ramp. There was only 15 feet for landing. According to me the ramp was short. I requested the action director to increase the length of the ramp. Shoot the camera from a low angle, you will get the shot and you will not get hurt. The action director said that you are 16 years old, my experience is of 16 years , if you do not want to do stunts then go. The scene started with the boy wearing the girl’s costume. The boy went ahead breaking the camera, he got hurt. Then the director of the film said that you were right. To the girls who want to explore this career, I would like to say that keep another career option ready. Even a simple injury can do away with this job. I am also a fitness trainer and interior designer.

Women who manage household accounts can handle the budget of a film as well as a male producer. There are many female producers in the industry including Ekta Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Guneet Monga, Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Lara Dutta. When Lara produced the film ‘Chalo Dilli’ in the year 2011, she was not taken seriously. Lara says that then it was difficult to establish herself as a producer, hold meetings with big production houses, negotiate ideas. They could not see me further than an actress. When it comes to business, men tend to think they have more knowledge. They forget that we don’t become makers without some homework. Now that era is slowly passing, Where people thought that there is a woman, then she can only see things like acting and costume. Today I have an identity as a producer. People accept me for business discussions.

Richa Chadha, who turned producer with the film ‘Girls Will Be Girls’, wants to have a crew of women on the sets. According to Richa, we are trying to have women heads of all departments. There are some traditional jobs in the Hindi film industry, which are occupied by men. I want new people to come with new ideas, which I can take forward.

Cinematographer Priya Seth, who has captured the war film ‘Pippa’ and Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Airlift’, says that when I started working, there were only two-three girls in this field. Today that number is more than 100. Yet women cinematographers do not get opportunities in mainstream films as easily as men. Even after the success of ‘Airlift’, I did not get many calls for work, but women know how to keep fighting even in adversity.

Reshmi Sarkar, who was part of the camera team in ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, says that now the word cinematographer has become common, earlier it was called cameraman. It took time to be called a cameraperson or director of photography. The camera is as heavy for boys as it is for us, but it is wrong to think weak on that basis.