Meet these Indian women disrupting the world of art and cinema

The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film in the US has been conducting a study, Celluloid Ceiling, every year since 1997, to track women employment statistics in Hollywood. According to the report, despite a drastic rise in women’s participation since 2019-onwards, men continue to heavily outnumber women (about 4:1) in key roles. In fact, in 2022, women made up only 24 per cent of key behind-the-scenes roles—such as directors, writers, producers, and editors—in the top 250 grossing films.

The data is only bleaker in India. About 48.39 percent of the population in the country identifies as women. Yet, only eight percent of the Head of Department (HOD) positions in our film industry were held by women in 2019-20. Women in technical roles, such as cinematographers, sound editors, special effects supervisors, et cetera can, perhaps, be counted on the fingers of one hand. Underrepresentation off-screen often translates into gross misrepresentation on-screen. Then, there are other gender-based evils like pay disparity for the same designation, lack of equal opportunities, an uneven playing field, and sexist stereotypes, among many others.

Focusing the lens on these issues, Bazaar India spoke to five, well-established female film professionals about their journey in this minefield of prejudices, their biggest life lessons, and their most precious achievements. 

Leena Yadav—director, writer, editor, and producer

“Once, I was part of a women filmmakers’ forum, where a fellow director spoke about her experience working with a male producer. That if she ever argued with him, or stood her ground, the first thing he’d say to her is, ‘don’t cry!’. That’s not something he would say to a man. And when she told him she wasn’t crying, that she was trying to have a healthy discussion, he would laugh it off. When I was just starting out, working as a freelance film editor, I had people walk out of the studio, too—because they hadn’t seen a female editor before, and didn’t want to work with one.

This sexism is so deep-seated, it’ll take time to go. But I haven’t let that be my narrative... I’ve always focused on the positives. After a point, no matter what the detractors say, it’s your performance that does the talking. And over time, I have reached a position where I consciously stay away from anyone I find resistant, or opposed to working with women in my sphere of work. Having said that, over the course of my career, there have also been multiple occasions where I did end up collaborating with people who undermined women. But by the end of the project, I was able to change them. I can’t take names, but it has happened several times and I consider that conversion my biggest achievement.

Many a time, the gender imbalance happens from the other end too—there are women who play the gender card, want to be treated differently, and want special privileges. But by doing that, they are only feeding into the stereotype that they are different. I understand that is complicated... Yes, women need to be promoted. But it is also true that many women misuse that push. 

To women who feel they are facing any discrimination, I’d say try to understand what the root cause is. And try to take away the man-woman aspect from the equation, otherwise you’ll just end up blaming men as a species for it, which I don’t believe in... Instead of suffering in silence, have a conversation, let that person know what you’re feeling, and see what they have to say.”

Alankrita Shrivastava—writer and director

“When I began working as an assistant director in 2003, I used to be on a set where there were about 250 odd men, and just three women—a costume assistant, a hairdresser, and me. Things have definitely changed since then. And OTT platforms have also made a big difference... They’ve opened up more spaces for women, female characters, actors, filmmakers, technicians, et cetera. But we still have a long way to go. And at the larger, institutional level, some issues remain the same—the statistics of women’s participation are still abysmally low, the stories female filmmakers want to tell aren’t easily green-lit, the budgets allotted to women are usually much lower, and we get fewer second chances...

I remember, as a first-time director, if I ordered a certain kind of camera, or specific lights, for the shoot, the production team wouldn’t care; they’d just send me whatever they wanted. And I’d get the worst slots in sound studios for mixing, or they’d give me rookie engineers to work with. I did rectify all that in my second film, making sure I worked with a team that shared my vision. But as a female filmmaker—new or established—one does have to fight various stereotypes, regularly. With me, there is also the tag of being a ‘feminist filmmaker’. And I still lose assignments because of it. About two or three years ago, someone asked me to showrun and direct a series. We were in talks, things were progressing, and suddenly, they decided they didn’t want to work with me. The producers informed me that it was, apparently, because the studio thought I was ‘too much of a feminist’. I thought it was quite darkly comic in today’s day and age. It was a small thing and eventually inconsequential but it reflects a larger mindset. I don’t care about these labels, because it’s my act of choice—I only want to make those kind of films. However, for other female filmmakers, who want to be associated with all types of films, it can be a problem to be boxed in a certain genre, just because they’re women.  

The most important lesson is to stay in the game. It’s not about talent...I feel talent is highly overrated. In fact, it’s more about having emotional resilience to keep at it day after day—no matter how hard things may seem, or how long it takes, or what rejections you face. 

One thing that really bothers me, even about myself, is that as women, we don’t know how to claim our space. The entitlement that a male filmmaker will have, no matter how badly his film(s) has done, is shocking. The budgets they can demand, and get... Women, on the other hand, even when successful, tend to be on the back foot. I just wish women could be as confident and assertive.”

Sonam Nair—writer and director

“When I started out, I was blatantly judged for my gender—for being a young woman, who liked to take care of her appearance, who was confident and fun, who wasn’t the archetypal serious, ‘intellectual’ woman people expected to become a director. So they conveniently assumed that I had come to the film industry to be an actress, or that I was just passing time till I found another ‘hobby’. But I didn’t let these presumptions deter me. In fact, I used them in my favour—sometimes, it’s better to be underestimated and prove them wrong.

I remember, one of my shows had to be shot in really difficult weather conditions, in a remote mountain village. The producers wanted to get a male AD (assistant director), who they felt could handle those conditions better, even though the female applicant was much more qualified. I decided to put my foot down. I told them we have to go with the female applicant—she knows her job, and if I can handle the conditions, she will be able to as well. 

In my experience, when women headline projects, more women get a chance—we know what other women are capable of, and we rarely short-change each other. So, it helps when the director is a woman, as she takes the call on all HODs. I have also always been thankful to female producers and channel heads that want more female-centric  content to be made. This has allowed me to tell my stories, which are all intimate narratives of women everywhere.

My biggest takeaway is that you just need to work hard and stick to your vision...let the rest happen at its own pace. There are many things you can’t control, so simply focus on what you can, and trust that all else will fall into place. Another principle that has stood me in good stead is that I never compare my journey to anyone else’s. I am carving my own path and walking on it my way. It might not make sense to others, but it makes perfect sense to me.”

Rima Das—cinematographer, director, writer, and producer

“During my initial filmmaking days, a fellow colleague from the industry spoke to me in a rather condescending manner—he made me feel like I was useless, because I was a woman. Even when I was making my first film, I could sense that quite a few cast and crew members doubted my capability. It was a very undesirable environment to work in. I was already under-confident, and the situation made it more challenging for me. While there have been instances like that, the success of Village Rockstars (2017) changed a lot of things for me (the film was also India’s Official Entry for the Academy Awards in 2019). Even when I was making Village Rockstars, I used to roam in my village, Kalardiya in Assam, with my camera. The people around didn’t think I could be a filmmaker. So, they’d say mean things to me, sometimes behind my back, sometimes right to my face. However, once they realised that I was capable, things changed. Now, they request me to shoot at their place. 

People often call me a ‘one-woman army’, but, to be honest, in my initial filmmaking years, that was the only way to go. I had no option. Thankfully, it worked for me. Before I turned filmmaker, I had also dabbled in acting. And I came with a few critical takeaways from that phase—like where not to go, and when to say no. I didn’t want to repeat the bad experiences I had experienced. Every new project, and new journey, comes with its own new challenges. And you just have to stride ahead.

It’s important to learn the language of the profession, be good at your job, hone your skills, deliver the goods, and command your space. A lot of the work in this industry comes through reference. So give your best, genuinely, in whatever big or small opportunities you get. Also, believe in your vision and keep working towards making your film. If you are an aspiring filmmaker—whether you find a producer or not—keep creating things with your limited resources. My biggest plaint with the industry is with regards to the under-representation of women. We are real people with real emotions, dreams, goals, struggles, and unique personalities—and each of us has a different journey, a different story to tell. It makes me uncomfortable when women are presented superficially, or merely as a decorative item in a film.”

Shilpa Rao—singer

“In the music industry, the songs that you sing—and how well you perform—is what defines your success. So in that sense, there is parity. There is so much diverse work to be done, and there is a demand for unique and different voices as well...so musicians are called in for varied projects, accordingly. But what bothers me is that we have fewer film albums with female-sung songs in them. I would like to see that change...I’d love to hear more women-sung songs.

In the course of my career, there have been times when I have turned down songs solely because I found the lyrics derogatory to women, or just offensive, in general. Some of them even went on to become big hits, but that’s never been my worry. When you pull out of a song, there is always a possibility that it may do really well. There is always that dilemma, but to me, the quality and content of the song is most important. That’s what I’d like to say to all aspiring artists too: ‘Don’t let your hunger for success dictate your decisions. Hone your craft and work for the love of your art.’ 

I have been fortunate to work with some very talented artists—some of the best musicians, composers, lyricists, directors, and actors. And I have learnt immensely from them all, not just professionally, but also how to be a better human being. Women have also played a very special role in my journey. My role models at home—my mom and both of my grandmothers—were exceptionally strong women, whom I have always looked up to. My mom was the first in her generation to start working, and seeing her fearlessly go out there and follow her dreams has inspired me to chase mine!

I owe my vision, the way I look at the world, to these women. There are also numerous female musicians, from across the world who have motivated me—Begum Akhtar, Farida Khanum, Iqbal Bano, Prabha Atre, M.S. Subbulakshmi, and Surinder Kaur.

I feel if you are happy with who you are, if you are secure as a person, you will start looking at everything as a community, not as me-versus-them. And once you progress as a community, you will progress as an individual, too. When we look out for each other, we build a community—and we prosper together.”