(S)heroes

An exploration of the growth mindset in women-centric films in popular culture

The journey of personal growth in many success stories is often propelled by motivation derived from influences that appear in one’s life, without announcement. One cannot ignore cinema as one such medium of influence that has contributed significantly to shaping the growth mindset of generations in the past few decades. We’ve seen numerous examples of films that follow the stereotypical “inspirational” story structure, where the persistent protagonist overcomes obstacles and eventually succeeds in his endeavor. Films like the ‘Rocky’ (1976), ‘The Karate Kid’ (1984), ‘Gully Boy’, (2019) are apt examples of such films.

The narrative and conflicts in a lot of these films (specifically ones with male protagonists) are in relation to the overarching theme or to the specifics of the character. However, when one takes a look at Female centric films of similar nature in terms of plot structure, the conflict seems to be a lot more social in nature. Much like in real life, Female protagonists battle against the hovering shadow of patriarchy, discrimination, and judgment in a male dominant society.

In this context, such films do try to capture and reflect the struggles women face in their daily lives, right from being repeatedly reminded that they’d never match up to the standards set by their male counterparts, to being deprived of well-deserved opportunities to being the threatened and subjected to heinous crimes and judgments if they dared to pursue their dreams. The inspirational essence of these films lies in the strongly written female characters that brave against all the external odds thrown at them while keeping their fierce and zealous spirits intact in their struggle to triumph and meet their objectives on their terms.

These movies showcase the lives of women from different walks of life, be it a single mother struggling to make ends meet, who tries to set up her business of selling indigenous mops invented by her (‘Joy’, 2015) or a construction worker by day, night club dancer by night who wishes to get into the dance school of her dreams (Flashdance, 1989). Then there are movies like Erin Brockovich (2000) that showcase how a woman, once committed to a cause no matter how limited her resources are, could make a difference to the world around her.

Indian cinema has showcased the evolution of the woman from the traditional embodiment of patience, virtue, and forbearance to an irresistible force to be recognized and respected. Be it the reluctant wrestler who goes on to become a gold medal winner in Dangal or the meek homemaker who doggedly pursues mastery over the English language in English Vinglish, Indian cinema has been an effective medium in capturing the growth and evolution of the woman’s strength of character, no matter in what area of life they find themselves in.

As the new decade unfolds, we could expect a rise in the market for such female-centric movies as more women come forward and break traditional barriers to contribute to society in real life. The narratives have changed and questions are being asked as the world of cinema undergoes a transitional phase in the new millennium where the role of the woman is no longer confined to the walls of her home. Powerful female characters are being written by filmmakers all over the world, characters that break away from the shackles of patriarchy. Woman role models have mushroomed in just about every sphere of activity and served as inspiration for several scripts for moviemakers.

This International Women’s’ Day, here is a list of movie and TV recommendations from Warhorse that you could choose to watch over the weekend that could trigger your growth mindset and inspire you to stand up and be counted in a ‘man’s world’….on second thoughts… ‘man’s world’?…now that is a redundant cliché isn’t it?

~ Rashmi Govind

1. Irudhi Suttru, 2016
2. Joy, 2015
3. Million Dollar Baby, 2004
4. Mulan, 1998
5. Mary Kom, 2014
6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, 2017
7. Flashdance, 1983
8. Manathil Uruthui Vendum, 1987
9. Uyare, 2019
10. Hidden Figures, 2016