Women in Indian Cinema

Portrayal of women on the big screen forms an interesting aspect of Indian Cinema. From 1913 till our times, representation of women itself on the celluloid is an interesting tale. With chapters divided into themes such as 'Myths being Retold', 'The Social Messenger', 'An Ode to the Creator', 'Many Battles to be Won', 'Feminine under Disguise', 'Uncanny is the Name', and 'Influenced by the West', the book looks at a wide range of roles being repre-sented by women.

In the recent past, cinemas across the regions of India have mirrored the changing social and economic realities of the country and showcased the women characters in tandem. In times to come, we may leave behind 'women-centric movies' and move towards special stories/char-acters on her.

This book has been made possible with the joint efforts of Publications Division and National Film Archive of India, and the two organisations will continue to work together to bring out more books on the various facets of Indian Cinema.

In the fast changing media scenario, Indian cinema continues to be a major point of reference for Indian culture. Being one of the most effective media instruments, it has not only shaped and expressed the evolving milieu of Indian society, but also served as an instrument of cultural revival as well. In its long journey of more than a century, Indian cinema has impacted and in turn got impacted, by numerous layers of the diverse Indian society. While Hindi cinema has hitherto enjoyed a wide appeal, cinemas across different regions have added so many narratives of this medium, that Indian cinema may be considered to be one of the richest cinemas globally, both in terms of cultural and linguistic diversity.

Over the past decades, Indian cinema has witnessed a significant transformation in the manner women are portrayed in films. The position of women in Indian society has always been one of the most deliberated topics and the different cinemas in India have portrayed the idea of womanhood in different ways.

The importance of films in portraying the shifting roles of women over the years cannot be overemphasised. Therefore, it is heartening to note that Publications Division and National Film Archive of India have synergised their expertise of preserving and promoting the 'idea of India and its various facets' to bring out this beautiful book on various shades of the portrayal of women characters in Indian Celluloid.

Conceptualised to act as a visual journey of the story of "Women in Indian Cinema", her aspirations, struggles, triumphs and many shades of in-between, this book may reveal to its readers the interesting ways in which movies have been reimagining the many ideas of womanhood, while shifting the many lenses, breaking the mould, and looking at possibilities beyond.

I extend my heartiest congratulations to both Publications Division and NFAI for undertaking this novel initiative. I also sincerely hope that this collaboration would result in many more enriching publications, which will make a meaningful contribution in showcasing various facets of Indian cinema to film enthusiasts both in India and abroad.

**Contents and Sample Pages**