Recently, we have seen a rise in women power in Bollywood. With the success of films like Stree 2, Laapataa Ladies and Girls Will Be Girls, women have been taking the lead and delivering amazing films.
Producer-director Karan Johar recently talked about this evolving landscape of women-centric films and addressed the pay gap between genders.
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In the past, many people have talked about how men would charge more because they attracted a bigger audience than women. But Karan talked about how in 2024, Stree 2, a woman-centric horror comedy went on to become the biggest Hindi blockbuster.
The narrative is changing. Women’s movies are opening much higher than some big male movie stars who are opening to dismal box office numbers, he said.
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He then went on to compare the success of Stree 2 with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Gangubai Kathiawadi. The success of that film, which was led by a woman, is considered a victory in Indian cinema to Karan.
It is high time the narrative around the wage pay gap should change.
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The producer-director went on to discuss gender politics within the industry.
He believes that cinema is meant for large-scale entertainment, joy and thrill, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be made without the wrong politics.
It is highly possible to entertain a large audience across the nation without propagating and positioning incorrect gender politics or social norms.
He said that unfortunately there is no censorship about this, but as makers, they should self-censor such issues and create films responsibly.
Cinema is an art form that reaches to the masses. The stories which are told, and the visuals which are shown impact the audience directly or indirectly. Makers of the film should use this power responsibly.
