Best Indie Bollywood Movies of 21st Century With Strong Female Stories

This movie follows the life of Mumtaz (played by Tabu) and her sorrowful existence as a bar dancer at Chandni Bar. The sacrifices these bar dancers make every day to feed their family will make you sob but at the same time it'll fuel your frustration towards the society when the same dancers are seen as objects of pleasure by drunk ruthless men.
Released in 2001 and directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, this film is headlined by nuanced actors like Tabu, Atul Kulkarni and Vinay Apte.

We have known Kareena Kapoor for films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Jab We Met, and 3 Idiots. But if you've followed her filmography closely enough, you'd know that one of her best performances was in Chameli.
Though the film shows a number of powerful men making the final call, their decisions as well as the story are extensively driven by the empathetic female prostitute - Chameli.

After being screened at Toronto International Film Festival and Venice Film Festival, That Girl in Yellow Boots finally got a commercial release in India in September 2011.
Kalki Koechlin's Ruth takes a journey through an uncaring and hostile city of Mumbai to find her biological father. A British woman, Ruth only has a piece of the letter from her father to lead her way.
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, this film captures brilliant performances by Kalki, Naseeruddin Shah and Gulshan Devaiah.

One of the most underrated movies of recent times, Masaan encompasses the events that take place in the lives of its two main protagonists; one being a college student Devi Pathak (played by Richa Chadda).
Growing up in the narrow streets of Varanasi, Devi has witnessed the small town patriarchy all her life. Her father, a decent and educated man, falls prey to a sadistic police officer when she gets involved in a tragic incident. This movie then follows her journey from those conservative social norms to a (hopefully) better life for herself.
Apart from a strong woman protagonist, this film has a gripping and relatable story. It is a must watch.

As the name suggests, this film takes place in the dry lands of Rajasthan where being a girl child is still sneered at.
It explores the lives of four village women including a teenager.
A young widowed mother-in-law, her teenage bahu, her impotent best friend and a woman who dances in tents at night in front of intoxicated mad men to earn her living - these are the women we follow throughout the movie.
This film is a masterpiece and a viewer's delight. It shows that sometimes a little courage, friendship and burrowed frustration can help anyone overcome anything.

If you had followed the news last year, you must have come across this name.
This film tells the story of four individual women in present day Bhopal and their struggles with social and religious norms. It discusses sexual desires and needs of women in their twenties, thirties and even fifties. It explores the way male domination has settled into our daily routines.
The main protagonist of this story is probably the heroine of the erotic pulp fiction novel that Usha Parmar (Ratna Pathak) reads every night titled Lipstick Dreams. With a stellar cast consisting of Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Plabita Borthakur, Aahana Kumra, Vikrant Massey and Sushant Singh, this movie is a gem that shouldn't be missed.

When it comes to indie movies with strong female leads, this movie definitely makes the cut.
A group of women meets up at a Goa to celebrate their friend's bachelorette party. Sounds like a fun party movie? Well, this one is different.
Filled with revelations about love, sexuality, and society, this movie ticks on a lot of boxes adhering to female empowerment before its ending credits.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the website.
Deblina is a self-proclaimed cine buff with a decent taste in music. She is also an engineering student with a passion for story-telling.