Women's Day Special: From Arati Kadav, Shuchi Talati to Rima Das, female gaze that is changing the narrative
On International Women’s Day, directors known for telling stories centred on Indian women talk about how female gaze helps them create compelling stories
Last few months have seen several female storytellers take the centre stage when it comes to showcasing well written, well directed stories about Indian women. But this is not a first. India has lately seen several female directors take charge and present compelling stories about Indian women with unique treatment and perspective. So, does a female gaze differ from a male gaze when it comes to telling stories about the women in India and in which way?
We talk to leading new-age female directors, who talk about the difference of female gaze and how it changes the narrative of a story about a woman.
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Rima Das, Village Rockstars 2
“I believe the female gaze offers a personal, more nuanced perspective,” shares Rima, whose film Village Rockstars 2 (2024) follows the life of a teenage girl. The director, who recently helmed a portion of an anthology on race and gender continues, “It’s not just about representation but capturing experiences with sensitivity and highlighting the unspoken realities of being a woman authentically.”
Arati Kadav, Mrs
“Female directors bring their lived experience while shaping the characters in their stories — weaving in both strengths and flaws help make both the characters and the story well-rounded, more human and real,” says the director whose recent film Mrs, starring Sanya Malhotra, brought discussions around gender inequality and patriarchy back into public discourse. Arati muses, “Additionally, having a female lens can make the fabric of a film more relatable. The first-hand experiences of women storytellers can helps a story travel further and connect better with a larger audience.”
Shuchi Talati, Girls Will Be Girls
“The films we make and the stories we tell create the culture that we imbibe. For a long time, culture has been skewed because women, queer people and others haven’t had the same sort of access,” muses Shuchi, who wrote, produced and directed short films based on women’s experiences before helming the Indo-French film Girls Will Be Girls (2024). “Current culture is anaemic because it is missing many stories and narratives,” she tells us. However, Shuchi asserts that she isn’t trying to make “message” films: “What I want is to bring viewers deeply into the experience of my characters, to feel and breathe with them. It makes women feel seen. And men have said watching Girls Will Be Girls made them reflect on the experiences of the women in their life in a way no essay could.”
Shonali Bose, Ziddi Girls
“There is a sense of autonomy when a woman helms a story,” asserts Shonali, whose recent web series is a coming-of-age story centred on a group of young women in college. “There is always the rare male storyteller who understands how to treat a female-centric story,” she acknowledges, but adds, “In a broader sense, there is a distinct difference in how a man shoots a scene versus how a woman sees it — it isn’t just the contrast in angles, but also the tone of the scenes. We want stories to be empowering, that is what women’s insights add.”
