How is gender constructed in Bollywood movies and Indian cinema?

Gender construction in Bollywood films and Indian cinema is as complex an issue as gender-based identity is in India today.

We need to define some terms before delving into the issue of gender construction. "Bollywood movies" reflect the lucrative film industry for which India is known. These films are distributed out of Mumbai. Hindi is their primary language. "Indian cinema" reflects the regional filmmaking industry that represents a significant portion of Indian filmgoers and filmmakers. For example, "Indian cinema" reflects Tamil-, Telegu-, and Malayalam-speaking populations. It is more regional, localized in specific Indian states. For example, most Tamil films are distributed out of Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu in the Southern part of India. These distinctions are important to understand what is being discussed when we talk about the Indian film industry.

As with most media, gender construction is related to commercial profit. For example, both Bollywood and Indian cinema utilize "item songs." These are songs where a woman performs for an audience of men. The item song represents a particular construction of feminine identity. The woman featured is dressed in a provocative way, dances for men, and does not speak outside of the lyrics she sings. She has no depth to her presentation. Women in these songs are seen as objects for men. They are designed to elicit a specific response both in the film's scene and in the audience. Item songs are employed because of their commercial marketability. They are a way to generate "buzz" and publicity for a specific film. In other words, commerce dictates one way in which women are presented in Bollywood films and Indian cinema.

Commercial expectations further affect gender construction in Bollywood films and Indian cinema. Films aimed at mass appeal are designed to generate profit and feature a more conventional and/ or objectified depiction of women. This is based on commercial expectations. A significant number of areas India tend to view women in a "traditional" way. In these areas, a more conventional depiction of women on the screen will generate greater sums of money. In many instances, the filmmakers and producers are not inclined to put forth a message that preaches universal empowerment for women if it cuts into a film's profits. These individuals are more likely to present women in a particular way through particular roles in order to maintain the film's commercial viability.

At the same time, there are examples of films that view themselves as "art" over a vehicle for commercial production. For example, filmmakers like Deepa Mehta are willing to depict a relationship between two women in Earth or a film about the mobilization of widows in Varanasi in Water. These are examples of films that might not experience a wide distribution because they are not intended to profit substantially. Profit is not these films' primary motivation. They are intended to make a statement about social conditions in India. The people who would watch either of these films are fundamentally different than a more traditional Indian film audience member. These audiences are more likely to embrace a challenging of existing social attitudes about gender identity. These audiences will be found in metropolitan centers like Bangalore, Hyderabad, or Calcutta. They are less likely to exist in the small villages that comprise so much of India. Commercial viability plays an important role in gender construction in both Indian cinema and Bollywood films. There is also a growing subsection of artistic films in India that want to challenge how gender identity is perceived, though.

Part of the reason for this divergence is because India is in the midst of questioning its understanding of gender identity. Indian society is wrestling with issues like domestic violence and sexual assault. For a very long time, these issues were seen as "private issues." They were realities that women had to confront silently, away from public view. Through social media and emerging markets, however, globalization has brought different cultural attitudes. As India has become a very active participant on the world stage, new attitudes have entered into the Indian social mindset. This has prompted previously held mores and values regarding gender identity to be challenged. There is an emergence of organizations and collective attitudes which argue that violence against women must be a public issue. It must be legislated in the public arena and should no longer be relegated into silence. It is for this reason that when Bollywood actor Salman Khan compares a difficult film shoot schedule to a "woman being raped," he provoked intense reactions from different parts of society. It is also why Amitabh Bachchan, quite possibly Bollywood's biggest star, makes news when he takes the role of a lawyer defending girls who have been sexually assaulted in the upcoming film, Pink. Gender depiction is a complex reality in Indian films because it is a complex issue in Indian society.