B'wood has more women directors than H'wood

WOMEN ON TOP: Sushmita Sen turned director when she couldn't find a suitable director for her pet project.

ibnlive.com is on mobile now. Read news, watch videos
be a Citizen Journalist. Log on to m.ibnlive.com NOW!

Related Stories

Top Headlines

Top Videos

Most Popular

• Education reform will be for all Indians: Sibal 

• Federer wins record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title | Photogallery 

• Budget preview: Promises to keep | What to expect and what not 

• One-upmanship: Sonia, Pawar in foodgrain politics 

• 5 feared dead in Madhya Pradesh factory explosions 

• Policemen guard Maya's statue wealth across UP 

• Youth shot dead by cops had 26 injury marks | Watch 

• CPI-M leaders to act to curb Kerala infighting 

• Recruiter of child suicide bombers held in Afghan 

• Paes-Black lose Wimbledon mixed doubles final 

• Pranab has promises to keep in Budget of hope 

• Youth shot dead by cops had 26 injury marks 

• Kargil victory was certain: ex-army chief 

• Bollywood stars sizzle at the IIFA fiesta 

• IBNFocus: TDS process simplified 

• No minister contacted Madras HC judge: CJI 

• Scrap EVMs, let's go back to ballot, says Advani 

• CNN-IBN debate: Homosexuality vs Indian morality 

• Watch: Parties react to HC judgement on gays 

• Railways fail to provide basic facilities to passengers 

• Michael Jackson to be buried without his brain 

• Kambakkht Ishq is not vulgar or offensive: Akshay 

• Youth shot dead by cops had 26 injury marks 

• Federer wins record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title 

• Budget preview: Promises to keep 

• Activists disrupt Railways exams in Mysore, Bangalore 

• 5 feared dead in Madhya Pradesh factory explosions 

• Education reform will be for all Indians: Sibal 

• Budget: How policies impact life 

• Chronology of Federer's record 15 Grand Slam titles 

Photogallery

Find us on Facebook | Join IBNLive community

Stay ahead with G-Talk Buddy | Click now!

Mumbai: Bollywood has more women wielding the director's microphone than even Hollywood, and their tribe is increasing. Apart from actress Sushmita Sen, director Farhan Akhtar's sister Zoya Akhtar and Shahid Kapur's mother Neelima Azim are also now stepping behind the camera for their directorial debut.

Though, it's been decades since a woman first took over the reigns of filmmaking in Bollywood, the gender war still exists.

“In a male driven society, the moment a woman is in a place of authority there is basically a psychological problem. When they know that you know your job better than what they do, it’s a problem. Secondly, it’s an entertainment industry where women are looked at as decorative pieces. When it comes to a creative or intellectual level, then it takes the male psyche to take time to adjust,” Neelima said.

Though, the Hindi film industry boasts of a range of women filmmakers like Sai Paranjpe, Aparna Sen, Kalpana Lajmi, Tanuja Chandra and Farah Khan, actress Sushmita Sen couldn't find the right author to bring to life her dream period project Jhansi Ki Rani. And this made the former Miss Universe to take up the job of directing the film herself.

“I want to bring to you a character from history that I think we all have forgotten and whose attributes and relevance has great meaning even today. Her story is not far back, it’s only 150 years ago,” Sushmita said while speaking about Jhansi ki Rani.

Ironically, though Bollywood has seen a spurt in the number of women directors lately, it's also given a cold shoulder to women-oriented subjects and themes.

“Women when they start out don’t usually want to make a film on women issues because they wouldn't want to be narrowed down to just that. They start on with a subject which they think every other male is making to show their prowess,” Neelima said.

So it's a whole new generation working without the constraints of gender identity. No one is complaining as long as good stories make it to the screens.