Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Objectives: To analyse how across the decades, representation of Indian Women in Hindi Cinema has observed substantial change. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Scores of movie samples have been analysed to decipher the changing patterns in treatment of female characters in Hindi Cinema. The analysis includes how women across the decades particularly in post liberalized India, have been conforming to preconceived notions about womanhood in cinema. Old Hindi movies are compared and contrasted with relatively new cinema. Findings: The “New Woman” of liberalized Indian Cinema has experienced a remarkable shift in the representation of their identities. Indian media scenario underwent a rapid change in the way it reached to its audience. Waves of change in the Indian media industry penetrated into the Hindi film industry as well. This marked a departure of the Hindi popular cinema from the way it operated in the eighties and deliberately changed the wаy its ways both as аn industry and as a commercial product as well. Liberalization brought along not only economical shift, it impacted socio cultural aspects of life as well deeply. Women came across their new found identities which were both perplexing and liberating. Suddenly there was a huge unexpected world to be explored which so far had stayed out of purview, in fact did not exist at all. Same socio-cultural sensibilities found a medium in Cinema that gradually matured to give a due place to its female characters, who had just awaken to their new find freedom. Application/ Improvements: The analysis of changing dynamics in the representation of women in Hindi Cinema has wider social concerns and issues dealing with treatment of women in society as it is reflexive of norms and conditions prevalent around. 

Keywords: Changing Dynamics, Hindi Cinema, Liberalization, Representation, Women