It had to happen. In 2007, when a female director has given Shahrukh Khan, possibly the biggest hit of his career and 16 unknown girls propped his second big hit of the year Chak De, the wagging tongues are claiming how impossible it is for women to make an impression at Bollywood turnstiles.

And all because, Aaja Nachle with Madhuri Dixit as its She-ro did not crackle at the box-office. “Women-centric films don't work with the audience,” say the trade analysts forgetting that Chak De, despite the presence of Shahrukh Khan, was centred around women. Forgetting also that in every era, Hindi film heroines have helmed women-centric hits.

Be it the Fearless Nadia genre of films to operatic moments like Mother India, to intimate portrayals of the female psyche in films like Kalpana, Bandini, Sujata, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Guddi, Khoobsurat, Umrao Jaan, Arth or the Ram Aur Shyam role reversals in entertainers like Seeta Aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz. It is never the gender that works or fails at the box-office. It is always the film. If the overpaid heroes of today could guarantee hits, none of their films would fail but no one targets a Jaan-E-Man or a Mangal Pandey or a Paheli.  

A fact that theatre person Keerthana Kumar rues, “I think the energy and grace Madhuri brings to the screen is fabulous. To target her in such a petty way is just symptomatic of the sexist society we live in. The glass ceiling in cinema however is no different from glass ceilings in any other field.

For me, it is exciting to see women making strides in any field, despite the odds. What interests me is what kind of a unique genre female directors will create. I am told Farah has brought a lot of ironic flavour to her film. Maybe that will be known as her genre.’’

Director Kavitha Lankesh has blurred the line between art and commercial cinema in the Kannada film industry with her critically applauded Deveree and commercial hits like Preethi Prema Pranaya.

Resistance

She recalls, “I remember facing a lot of resistance during the release of Preeti Prema Pranaya because a big hero’s film was releasing on the same day. I was told to hold my film back because it was presumed that my film was an `art' film and would not be commercially successful. The perception was that I make films only for awards! I held my ground and the film reached the audience and that has been my only goal though I will accept awards if they are given to me! Tomorrow, I may want to make an action film. I refuse to be categorized either as an art, commercial or a female film maker. I am a director and that is how I want to be known.’’

Gender-obsessed

Padmavathi Rao, actor and theatre director, chips in, “I liked OSO and I hope it inspires aspiring women directors to dream. But I doubt if it will make things easier for them because films require manpower, machinery and funds and that does not come by easily. ’’ 

Mohena Singh, television director, also warns that one lone ranger does not a caravan make. She says, “It is too early to say that doors will open for other women directors because of the success of OSO. Farah Khan is not just another director. She is the personal friend of Shahrukh Khan, has access to all the top stars.

If I were to land at Shahrukh’s home tomorrow and say that I have the most fantastic script for him, I don’t think I will be allowed to put my foot in his door even edgeways! But l hope, things change.’’ But undoubtedly, this year belongs to a woman director who has not only got her foot in the door of the all-guy, Bollywood locker room but who can play a high-pressure game with the big boys, beat them nonchalantly and leave them smarting like Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

It belongs to Farah Khan who vanquished the notion first with Main Hoon Na and then with Om Shanti Om, that a woman director can only handle small-budget films with a niche audience.

 That a female director cannot make a universal entertainer. In a telling scene in the film, a pretentious director is taking the names of Bengali masters like Sen and Ray in vain and is told by a producer that unless he is inspired by the cinema of Manmohan Desai, he will not make a superhit.

That is finally the mantra that Farah Khan has chanted audibly through both her films. Entertainment is the reigning deity she worships unabashedly in her films.

So much for the gender-obsessed carping that dismisses female directors as not mainstream enough.  But if films had a gender, her films would be slotted as testosterone-oozing celebrations of the quintessential Bollywood male. Of the hero who can do anything. Chase a SUV in a rikshaw, go from being a junior artiste to a top star waking up in a white, Yash Chopra bedroom, someone who wins a Filmfare trophy after a lifetime of longing...

Macho director!

Farah joked in assorted interviews recently that (despite being a lady) she is the only macho director who makes friend and muse Shahrukh Khan play macho roles!  She is someone who has with single-minded ambition and without taking herself too seriously, demolished the idea that women directors can make films only about women, can win awards but not crack the box-office.

A very long time back when Sadhana had been credited with the direction of Geeta Mera Naam, derisive titters had greeted the film.

Sai Paranjpai made modest box-office and critical successes like Chashme-Baddoor, Sparsh, Katha and more but when this writer spoke to her a few years ago, she was still far from the fruition of a dream to direct a big-budget musical.

Aruna Raje once made ripples with her sensationally bold film Rihaee. Revathi made Mitr-My Friend and Phir Milenge, Meghna Gulzar has Filhaal and Just Married to her credit, Reema Kagti made the delightfully quirky Honeymoon Travels, Tanuja Chandra's last film Zindaggi Rocks did not rock the box-office, Leena Bajaj sleep-walked through Shabd, Pooja Bhatt is in the fray with Paap, Rog, Holiday and Dhoka, Sharbani Deodhar made an unfortunate Silsila Hai Pyar Ka, Kalpana Lajmi followed Rudali with some seriously bad films and Zoya Akhtar is on the verge of directing.

Bollywood never acknowledged the brilliance of Aparna Sen and the international acclaim garnered by Deepa Mehta, Mira Nair and Gurindhir Chaddha. What the male-centric industry lacked was a woman who could take on Bollywood's dreamsmiths without being conscious of her gender and make big money. Om Shanti Om may be Shahrukh Khan's biggest hit yet. But no one can take away the fact that a woman has directed it.