7 directors helming female-forward narratives in 2025

7 directors helming female-forward narratives in 2025 Movie stills Mid-Day Entertainment By Athulya Published Jan 31, 2025 [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Kajri Babbar – Lioness Making her directorial debut, Kajri Babbar presents Lioness, a poignant tale of two British Punjabi women from different eras, tied together by a shared history [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu, this Indo-U.K. co-production draws inspiration from Peter Bance’s research on Princess Sophia Duleep Singh [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Amrit Raj Gupta – Daldal Director Amrit Raj Gupta, who brought relatable family stories to life with Gullak, now takes on the cop drama genre with Daldal [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Based on Vish Dhamija’s book Bhendi Bazaar, it stars Bhumi Pednekar as Rita Ferreira, a determined DCP navigating the complex criminal underbelly of Mumbai [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Arati Kadav – Mrs. Arati Kadav, known for her visionary sci-fi films Cargo and The Astronaut and His Parrot, makes her foray into female-oriented narratives with Mrs. [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Starring Sanya Malhotra as a dance teacher navigating the stifling constraints of marriage, the film sheds light of women in traditional households [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Ananth Mahadevan – Phule Ananth Mahadevan has a storied legacy of crafting female-forward narratives (Mee Sindhutai Sapkal, Doctor Rakhmabai) [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

In Phule, he brings the story of Indian social reformers Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule to life featuring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Devashish Makhija – Gandhari Devashish Makhija, known for hard-hitting films like Ajji and Bhonsle, ventures into action-thriller territory with Gandhari [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

The Netflix film, starring Taapsee Pannu and written by Kanika Dhillon, tells the gripping story of a mother’s unyielding love and quest for revenge [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Prosit Roy – Chakda Xpress Prosit Roy reunites with Anushka Sharma in Chakda Xpress, a biographical sports drama based on legendary Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Having previously worked together on the horror hit Pari, Roy’s latest project showcases a trailblazing sportswoman’s journey to breaking barriers in cricket [{ "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

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