How Does Bollywood and Regional Cinema Portray Women and Violence in Films? Divyasri SN, Anmol Yadav & Nandini Singh 1. Introduction Anmol Yadav India’s perception of women and violence is shaped by cinema, a potent cultural medium that both reflects and shapes societal attitudes. Both Bollywood and regional films have an impact on public opinion in India, frequently feeding negative preconceptions. Cinema is compared to dreams in Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, emphasizing how it shapes social conventions. Many movies still normalize violence and uphold gender inequity, even though some have progressive themes. According to a 2017 Geena Davis Institute study, women in Bollywood are significantly underrepresented, receiving only 31.5% of the screen time compared to male actors. 2. Historical Perspective Anmol Yadav Social conventions and cinematic tropes have greatly influenced how women are portrayed in Indian movies. Indian films have long employed these clichés to establish a strong emotional connection with viewers, drawing on Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes and universal symbols like the mother or the hero. Women were frequently portrayed in Bollywood’s early years (1930s–1950s) as selfless individuals who embodied virtue and parenting ideals. Devdas (1955) reaffirmed the idea that women’s value is correlated with their interactions with males, while Mother India (1957) depicted strong but conventionally constrained female roles. Nuanced depictions of women were first seen in Indian film during its heyday, which spanned the 1950s to 1970s. As an unmarried mother, Sharmila Tagore’s role in Aradhana (1969) defied social expectations. Hypermasculine themes, such as Amitabh Bachchan’s “angry young man” in Zanjeer (1973) and the action-packed Sholay (1975), which combined violence with justice, also became more popular during this time. Bollywood tended toward marketed entertainment from the 1980s to the 1990s, eschewing nuanced female characters in favor of stereotypical ones as victims or romantic interests. Negative preconceptions were reinforced by the frequent romanticization or trivialization of violence against women. Regional film, on the other hand, provided more varied representations. Bengali, Malayalam, and Tamil films explored women’s lives in more detail while capturing local sociocultural quirks. The 1964 film Charulata by Satyajit Ray delicately examined the inner lives of women. However, patriarchal storylines continued to exist, with some movies using honor or tradition to defend violence. A change has been brought about by the emergence of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, which provides room for unusual storylines and nuanced female characters. This development is changing how movies are told and how the industry makes money. 3. Bollywood and the Normalization of Violence Against Women Anmol Yadav Stalking is commonly portrayed in Bollywood as a respectable and romantic kind of courting. Male heroes who persistently seek women are portrayed in movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Raanjhanaa (2013) as romantic rather than harmful. DDLJ’s famous quote, “Jaa Simran jaa, jee le apni zindagi,” for example, seems empowering at first but ultimately casts the father as Simran’s protector. With lines like “Shaadi ke baad patni ki izzat pati ke haath mein hoti hai” from Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1997) and “Pati Parmeshwar hota hai” from Biwi No. 1 (1999), Bollywood further reinforces negative gender stereotypes by reducing women to subservient positions. In movies like Baaghi (2016) and Kabir Singh (2019), women are also employed as plot elements for male retaliation, with their misery serving as an excuse for male violence. The assumption that women must experience pain in order to regain power is further supported by movies like Bandit Queen (1994), which examine domestic abuse through extreme retribution scenarios. Sheila Ki Jawani and Munni Badnaam Hui are two examples of item songs that further objectify women by treating them as objects for males to consume. (References – https://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/epgpdata/uploads/epgp_content/women_studies/gender_studies/10.women_media_and_films/28._women_in_regional_films/et/6359_et_et_28.pdf Role of women in contemporary Indian cinema: A psychological perspective -Berlin school of business and innovation- https://www.berlinsbi.com/blog/role-of-women-in-contemporary-indian-cinema-a-Psychological-perspective Critical Analysis of the Representation of Women in Indian Cinema Dr. Ruchika Chaudhary https://research-communications.cmpcollege.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/10-Dr.-Ruchika-chaudhary-Critical-Analysis-of-the-Representation-of-Women-in-Indian-Cinema-Modified.pdf The Impact of Gender Representation in Indian Films https://geenadavisinstitute.org/research/the-impact-of-gender-representation-in-indian-films/ Study on the Impact of Bollywood Films on the Youth Population in India https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383177362_The_study_on_impact_of_bollywood_films_on_the_youth_population_in_India https://www.shethepeople.tv/film-theatre/regional-films-on-feminism-jhimma-uyare-sinjar/ ) 4. Gender Stereotypes and Tropes in Indian Cinema Nandini Singh 4.1. The “Damsel in Distress” Trope Hindi cinema or should we say the whole Indian cinema has been male-oriented, it has always been in search of such a hero who talks about everyone and fights for everyone. In the inception of Indian cinema, female characters remained in historical, mythological, religious and traditional roles. The earliest change in this theme is visible in 1935 when Dadasaheb Phalke produced the film Hunterwali. Indian cinema seems to be changing with the changing society.Early years after independence, films like Patita, Ek Hi Raasta and Sadhna etc. depicted the indecisiveness of a woman, her chastity and her position in the hegemonic system of a male dominated society, but herchanged forms come to the fore in the movies made in later years.This was the period in the story of Indian cinema when women were out of the field of producing and directing films and this field was completely in the hands of men. 4.2. The “Item Girl” Phenomenon The objectification and sexualization of women in Indian films have been normalized to the extent that it is hard to imagine a film without the mandatory item number or a scene that shows the female lead in a provocative outfit. In most films, women are portrayed as mere objects of desire, and their characters are often reduced to their physical appearance and sexuality. One of the most egregious examples of this is the item number. In an item number, a woman dances to a sexually charged song, dressed in revealing clothes, and is often surrounded by men. The item number is meant to be a highlight of the film, and filmmakers believe that it is necessary to include it to attract audiences. However, it reduces women to sexual objects and sends a message that women’s bodies are for male consumption. This portrayal not only diminishes the value of women but also reinforces gender stereotypes that limit women’s choices and