Year 2017 has just kicked in with some pleasant news. It is set to continue the successful run of women-centric films at the box office, as leading ladies will slug it out with solo heroine films. It's girl power all the way, with Anushka Sharma, Kangana Ranaut, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Rani Mukerji, Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shraddha Kapoor coming up with films in which they play the protagonist.

Vidya is set to lead the girl pack with three films this year - Begum Jaan, Tumhari Sullu and Kamala Das' biopic, followed by Sonakshi in Noor, Kangana in Simran, Shraddha in Haseena and Kareena-Sonam's Veere Di Wedding. Besides acting in Phillauri, Anushka has also taken over as the producer - her second production after NH10. Rani's comeback vehicle post motherhood will roll mid-year, too.


LONGEVITY OF THE TREND
Says independent distributor Amod Mehra, “The boy-girl-romance-drama formula has run out of steam. We have progressed from the Main Chup Rahungi-type female-oriented stories to contemporary and bold ones like NH10. Content, in the last few years, has emerged as the king. And since there is acceptance for a great story, even those revolving around women are applauded.“ He adds that the longevity of this trend will depend on how hefty the pay packets of these heroines become eventually. “Actresses must take a cue from their male counterparts and partner as producers to reduce cost-driven risks. Anushka does that, others can do it too. Apart from the monetary factor, finding a suitable male lead is increasingly becoming a problem that has to be addressed.“


PAY GAP
Between 2014 and 2016, over two dozen films have been made with heroines playing dominant roles, with theirs as the only faces on the posters, like Queen, Mary Kom, Mardaani, NH10, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Piku, Dear Zindagi, Neerja and Pink. Most of these films hit the bullseye, but heroines still don't earn as much as the heroes. The pay disparity in Bollywood continues.

Producer Vikram Malhotra, who is currently backing Noor, says that the gender pay gap is not only a subject of intense debate in India, but also in Hollywood. He adds, “The dominant female lead is an idea that has now found firm footing in the Hindi movie industry and is here to stay. Films like Queen, Neerja and Pink have not only garnered critical acclaim and awards, but have also set the cash registers ringing. Given this blend of creative and commercial success, the number of scripts being written with female protagonists will only shoot up. And like in any industry or business, compensation for talent, male or female, will have to be commensurate with the commercial results that an artiste can deliver directly or influence. So, the subject of higher fees for female movie stars will have to be seen in this light.“

Producer Mukesh Bhatt believes otherwise. He stresses that eliminating pay packet dis parity seems impossible. “For years, films have had strong heroines. But this is a male-dominated industry. Even when a woman plays an equally strong role as a man, her pay packet is not likely to match up to him, thanks to the age-old dynamics,“ he says.


BIASES BEYOND PAY GAP
Most gender biases begin at the writing stage. Hearsay is that NH10, one of 2015's critically acclaimed films, didn't have takers back then, despite an international female lead in place. It was reportedly titled Kaali and had Frieda Pinto in the lead. For the lack of studio backing, it almost didn't get made and the writers contemplated changing it from a female-driven film to a male-driven commercial movie. Luckily, Anushka's entry gave the project a new lease of life and the results are for everyone to see. Shoojit Sircar couldn't find a studio to back Pink either, but the filmmaker released it with his partners. The rest is history.

According to writer Juhi Chaturvedi, who wrote Piku, filmmakers, over the last few years, have consistently been making efforts to reduce the gap. “Shoojit, while making Pink, wasn't trying to 'repeat' the success of his past movie. But generally, films with heroines are becoming popular with the ticket buyers, and producers have no choice. Scripts are written with heroines in mind. As a creative industry, we're influencing change and are getting influenced too. Deepika Padukone, Kangana and even Alia Bhatt prove that actresses are more than just props. They've raised expectations so much that the audience questions if their roles are not finely written. And this, at some point, will reflect in their salaries, too,“ she says.



The writer is quick to add a word of caution. “Nothing must be done for the heck of it. Overindulgence is not a good idea. Don't put the heroines on a pedestal while trying to make them relevant. I agree that the importance heroines are enjoying today was long overdue, but a balance has to be struck. Otherwise, there might come a day when we'd be fighting gender bias from the other sex's point of view.“

The box office is the culmination point for every film. Ticket sales are the true deciders. Cinema-chain head honcho Manoj Desai believes that a male or a female can only create an initial draw. The sustenance depends on a film's subject and performances. He sums up, “It seems 2017 will be the year of heroines. The line-up is strong and the stories we hear are quite promising but we'll have to wait and watch what eventually happens. But if what is promised is delivered in these heroine-centric films, there's no stopping the girls at the box office.“