Expression of Womanhood through Indian Cinemas: A Comparative Study of Agency, Gaze, and Subjectivity in Contemporary Indian Films

Authors

S. Krishnapriya

Research Scholar, Department of English, Kalaignar Karunanidhi Government Arts College, Tiruvannamalai, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore (Tamil Nadu)

Dr. S. Suresh

Assistant Professor of English, Kalaignar Karunanidhi Government Arts College, Tiruvannamalai., Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore (Tamil Nadu)

Article Information

DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2026.100300311

Subject Category: Literature

Volume/Issue: 10/3 | Page No: 4166-4173

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2026-03-13

Accepted: 2026-03-20

Published: 2026-04-06

Abstract

In the Indian film industry, gender has traditionally played a crucial role in shaping, producing, and controlling identity formation. Traditionally, in Indian films, female characters have been depicted in limiting roles such as mothers, wives, and self-scarifiers. However, in recent times, womanhood, female autonomy, and self-assertion have emerged in a strong manner in contemporary Indian films such as Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam cinema.

Keywords

Feminist Film Theory, Gaze Theory, Indian Cinema, Female Agency, Postcolonial Feminism

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