No glass ceiling here

WINDS OF CHANGE

Making or starring in movies is a man’s job. This was the common belief when motion pictures came into India, almost a century ago. So much so that even female characters were played by male actors, and much ado was made about Kamalbai Gokhale from Pune, today’s character artiste Vikram Gokhale’s grandmother, who was the first lady to act in a film (Bhasmasur Mohini in 1913) and even played male roles in some movies later! Much has changed since then. Films are no longer looked down upon as the last refuge of the amoral. The social stigma has disappeared and it is a respectable career choice like any other profession.

In 1935, it was Parul Ghosh who became Hindi cinema’s first playback singer in Dhoop Chhaon. And till today, the first symbol of Indian cinema globally is not Satyajit Ray, Amitabh Bachchan or any man, but a woman with a divine voice — Lata Mangeshkar! However, for obvious reasons, female actors, female playback singers and a lot of hairstylists and costume designers (Mani Rabadi and Bhanu Athaiya) had to be women. But how could a director, producer, writer, composer or technician be a female and give orders to a platoon of men who would have to dance to their commands, so to speak?

The female pitch

It is significant that in olden times, even the choreographers who made the stars dance were largely men. This fiefdom was first invaded by Saroj Khan, followed by Rekha Prakash (with husband Chinni) and Farah Khan, who are extremely successful dance directors. Today, the industry has a healthy mix of both genders.

Way back in 1936, Khurshed Manchershah Minocher-Homji, a Parsi lady from Varanasi, became Indian cinema’s first female composer with hits like Acchut Kanya, which she composed under the name of Saraswati Devi. But the first one to really succeed and sustain was Usha Khanna, who came in with the 1959 Shammi Kapoor-Asha Parekh starrer, Dil Deke Dekho. Recalled Usha in a 2003 interview with Deccan Herald, “I was always given tremendous encouragement and respect. In fact, singers like Rafisaab and Mukeshji would keep reminding me that I could pull them up if they were not coming up to my requirements!”

She however added that as a lady in a male bastion, she “could not take off with the producer and director to a hill station to compose a score. Neither could I socialise and hang around in producers’ offices or throw parties. That is why I did lose on the biggest banners, though I did films with big names like Rajshri Productions, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Mohan Kumar, among others.”

Shibani Kashyap and Sneha Khanwalkar are the only other female music directors who have had limited success in Hindi cinema. The former, a pop singer, usually composes songs she sings and has had popular numbers in films like Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II (Sajana aa bhi jaa) and Zinda. Sneha, on the other hand, has made a mark with her songs in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! and Love Sex Aur Dhokha. Manasi Scott, who has contributed to the music of Acid Factory, is also trying to make a mark in the film industry.
Poetess Maya Govind was the first woman to storm the male bastion of lyricists. With the popular songs of Jalte Badan and Aarop in the early ‘70s, she made a mark, gradually. But, ironically, it was the notorious Gutar gutar from Dalaal (1993) that she tasted success for a while. Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Naajayaz, Hameshaa and other films saw Maya in the same league as top composers like Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyanji-Anandji, Anu Malik and Bappi Lahiri. What’s more? Before that, Maya even produced a Govinda film, Tohfa Mohabbat Ka.

Lyricist Rani Malik, a Delhi housewife, got a break in the industry with Aashiqui and balanced work in Mumbai with her family for many years. Phool Aur Kaante, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin and Baazigar were some of her hit films. Anvita Dutt Guptan is another talented woman who is in demand with A-list producers like Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions and Sajid Nadiadwala. She even writes scripts and dialogues in some cases. Dostana, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Kambakhht Ishq, Heyy Babyy, Housefull and I Hate Luv Storys are among her recent biggies.

Dr Achala Nagar, a noted author, turned film writer with the incisive B R Chopra film Nikaah (1982), and moved on to write and co-write successful films like Tawaif, Aakhir Kyon?, Eeshwar and Baghban, besides the blockbuster Nagina. Shibani Bathija has written just four films, but has made a commercial mark in India with Fanaa (her debut) and among the NRI diaspora with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and My Name Is Khan.

Bhavani Iyer, a journalist, co-scripted Black and Guzaarish. Ex-scribe Vibha Singh co-scripted films like Sur, Parineeta and Dharm while Rahila Gupta penned Provoked. And of course, many of the female directors who have invaded the Hindi film industry prefer to write or co-write their films, all the way to Kiran Rao, the latest entrant. Women being directors, producers or EPs (executive producers) is no longer news!

Remarkably progressive for his times, veteran art director Sudhendu Roy trained his daughter Sharmishtha Roy to take on an all-male field. Way back in 1994, Sharmishtha took off with the Yash Chopra presentation, Yeh Dillagi, and never looked back. She earned accolades for her work in films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Taal, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Koi…Mil Gaya, Veer-Zaara, Bunty Aur Babli and more. From Punjab to Pakistan and from UK to USA, she made all the indoors look fabulous. Interestingly, Pooja Bhatt, one of the earliest high-profile female producers, was the production designer of her films Jism, Paap and Rog.

Of lens and scissors 

Savita Singh was director of photography of Phoonk. Fowzia Fathima worked on Revathy’s Mitr – My Friend. But somehow, editing seems to be a dearer profession for women. A pioneer in this field was Film & Television Institute of India graduate Renu Saluja, sister of ‘70s actress Radha Saluja. Her premature death curtailed a career that boasted of four National Awards — Parinda (1989), Dharavi (1991), Sardar (1993) and Godmother (1999) in a limited oeuvre.

Bela Segal, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sister, prefers to work only on her brother’s films like Devdas and Black. Another in-house scissorhands is P S Bharathi, wife of filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6). Deepa Bhatia, (Hazaar Chaurasi ki Maa, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara, Taare Zameen Par, Rock On!!, My Name Is Khan), Hemanti Sarkar (Peepli [Live], Sankat City, Parineeta), Aarti Bajaj (Black Friday, Jab We Met, Dev D, Love Aaj Kal, No One Killed Jessica) and Meghna Ashchit (Krazzy 4) are others who have made a name in this field.

Young Namrata Rao has already made a name for herself with just four films, winning many awards for Band Baaja Baaraat and also doing films as varied as Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Ishqiya and Love Sex Aur Dhokha.

Clearly, the female brigade is glowing and growing. As most of them opine, their sheer work and quality speaks for themselves and gradually silences even the worst male detractors.