International Women's Day: Discover inspiring Hindi films on OTT that celebrate women from all walks of life

Cinema mirrors life, and the representation of women in Bollywood films offer a powerful lens into their life experiences. These stories explore the complexities of womanhood, revealing journeys of strength, vulnerability, and liberation. Let's celebrate this International Women's Day by revisiting some of these perfectly crafted Hindi films on OTTplay Premium and truly understand feminism. From Nargis Dutt’s Mother India to Vidya Balan’s Ishqiya, delve into these Bollywood films with OTTplay Premium that highlight women’s resilience.

Bollywood female-centric films on OTTplay Premium:

Mother India (ShemarooMe)

Cast: Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Kanhaiya Lal, Jilloo Maa, Sitaradevi

Did you know Mother India is a remake of Sardar Akhtar’s film, Aurat, released in 1940? Despite that, Mother India emerged to be one of the greatest films in Indian cinema. Released in 1957, the film delves into the life of Radha, a kind and honest woman, who is very poor. She works hard to take care of her kids, but a greedy moneylender named Sukhilala makes her life even more difficult. No matter what challenges she faces, Radha never gives up her values.

Ishqiya (Lionsgate Play)

Cast: Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Adil Hussain

Two troublemakers, Khalujan and Babban, find themselves competing to gain the affection of Krishna, the beautiful widow of their deceased friend. However, Krishna proves to be a cunning woman, who uses her charm to manipulate the two men, turning their affection into a tool for her own evil purposes. As the story unfolds, Krishna's manipulation raises questions about the true nature of love, loyalty, and power aggregations.

Piku (SonyLIV)

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, Jisshu Sengupta, Moushumi Chatterjee

A road trip from New Delhi to Kolkata helps Piku, an independent architect, and her elderly father, Bhaskor Banerjee, to understand each other more. Despite their vastly different perspectives on life and their tendency to bicker over even the smallest issues, the journey brings them closer. Piku and her father are forced to confront their differences through laughter and tears.

Nil Battey Sannata (ZEE5)

Cast: Swara Bhaskar, Riya Shukla, Ratna Pathak Shah, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjay Suri

This film delves into the life of a determined mother and her daughter, Apeksha, who has lost interest in studying because of the financial difficulties in her family. Determined to help her, Apeksha’s mother, Chanda, devises an innovative plan to reignite Apeksha's passion for learning, studying, and motivate her to reach her full potential.

Mrs. (ZEE5)

Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Nishant Dahiya, Kanwaljit Singh, Aparna Ghoshal

This film tells the story of a newly married woman, who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, cooking and taking care of her new family. At first, it might seem like just ordinary household chores but soon finds that she is unable to follow her passion as she cooks and cares for others. For the unversed, this film is the Hindi remake of the 2021 Malayalam drama, The Great Indian Kitchen.

Vedaa (ZEE5)

Cast: John Abraham, Sharvari Wagh, Abhishek Banerjee, Ashish Vidyarthi

This Hindi film follows the story of a brave young woman, who decides to take a stand against the system that's being unfair and controlling over the years. She begins to challenge the rules and fight for what's right, even though it seems difficult and impossible at times. Along the way, she confronts some brutal criminals, who want to keep things the way they are and will do whatever it takes to stop her.

Fire in the Mountains (SonyLIV)

Cast: Vinamrata Rai, Chandan Bisht, Harshita Tiwari, Mayank Singh Jaira

This story revolves around the life of a dedicated mother, who works tirelessly to save money to build a road in their remote village in Himalaya so she can take her son to get the medical help he needs. However, her husband has a different ideology. He thinks that a traditional ritual performed by a local shaman will cure their son. This disagreement creates tension between the couple, and the mother struggles to find a way out.