This List Of Movies Is All The Inspiration We Need To #BreakTheBias

This Women’s Day, check out Ariel’s curated list of content featuring women in progressive roles on Disney+ Hotstar.

There was an era when women characters in movies and TV series were merely seen as the hero’s sidekick. Female-centric shows or performances were hard to come by, leave aside being lauded at the Emmy’s or Filmfare.

But in the last two decades, there has been a paradigm shift in the cinematic spaces. Today, women across Bollywood, Hollywood and the TV industry are breaking these stereotypes by playing characters and being part of storylines that portray them as strong, equal, progressive women who challenge bias. Better yet, they are the leading “heroes” that many of us admire, drive inspiration from, and one day hope to model some of their powerful traits.

But it is not just movies and TV series that have done their bit to #BreakTheBias in the entertainment industry. Commercial spaces have made their contributions as well. Ariel’s latest See Equal film which is part of their #ShareTheLoad campaign focuses on whether equal partners are playing equal roles. A reflection of our times, the film zooms into how and why relationships are changing and sparks important conversations about how men need to take up more responsibilities and share the load. It illustrates how men today are taking up more chores than before, from cooking to doing their laundry to help their wives. It also shows the protagonist raising a conversation in her household and demanding to be seen as an equal. Ariel is urging families to #SeeEqual so that they can share the load and move from seeing household chores as ‘help’ to considering it a joint responsibility.

This International Women’s Day, Ariel and Akshara Centre have taken a step further and curated an exciting list of films and TV shows which break the bias on stereotypical representation of women characters. With the belief that representation can either reinforce or challenge stereotypes, this is an initiative from Ariel to put out more equal, progressive content as an enabler for families to take inspiration from positive imagery and stories. The list is available on Disney+ Hostar, on both the Movies and Shows segments. The Quint lists some of them below:

#1 He Named Me Malala

She doesn’t need any introduction. But if you’re one of those who still don’t know much about how Malala Yousafzai survived a Taliban attack on her and went on to champion female education at a global platform, then this documentary is a must-watch.

#2 Pink

No means no. And that is where the buck stops. No matter who this is coming from. At the end of the day, consent is everyone’s right and if you truly see her as your equal then you would never impose yourself on her.

#3 Neerja

You think of air hostesses and you almost discount them as bystanders. You think it is just the flying officer who is responsible for your safe flying experience. This movie shows otherwise. Inspired by true events, this is the story of courageous Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 in 1986 when it was hijacked by a terrorist organization. Surely a must-watch!

#4 Women Of Impact – Changing The World

Subconsciously each one of us at some point is always thinking about what we can do to make this world a better place. This documentary casts the spotlight on those women who are changing our world. From living in the jungles to diving the oceans for clues to the health of our planet, and testing new technologies in outer space, these women are breaking glass ceilings everywhere in newsrooms, boardrooms, courtrooms, and classrooms.

#5 Kahaani

Women and thrillers? It goes against the basic image of what constitutes suspense right? But this movie busts that myth as well. It is about a pregnant woman's search for her missing husband as she travels from London to Kolkata, but everyone she questions denies having ever met him.

#6 Hidden Figures

Think female mathematicians and one would immediately think of Shakuntala Devi. This story is of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.

This women’s day, or even otherwise, if you are looking for inspiring content that is breaking bias, and paving the way for more equality in how women are represented on screen, you should check out this list called – See Equal and #ShareTheLoad on Disney+ Hotstar! Because when we #SeeEqual, we #SharetheLoad equally!