Bollywood loves to talk about evolution—bigger budgets, better scripts, smarter audiences. But beneath the glossy progress lies a quiet truth we don’t question enough: the lens hasn’t really changed. Women may now headline films, lead storylines, or drive box office numbers, yet they are still often framed, written, and interpreted through a man’s gaze.
The Hot Take episode with Anmol Jamwal dives into the invisible patterns that shape how female characters are portrayed, celebrated, or limited on screen. We explore why so many “strong female leads” still exist to serve a hero’s arc, how empowerment is packaged as aesthetics, and why the industry resists redefining femininity beyond stereotypes.
Through cultural analysis and real examples, we break down how Bollywood’s gaze influences society’s perception of women—and why true evolution in cinema must start with changing who holds the camera, who writes the story, and who gets to define desire, complexity, and agency.
